A SHORT HISTORY OF SAINT MARY’S WOOLTON
A Catholic Community has been present for nearly 300 years. It has been a vary varied and interesting History. Notable dates include:
| Year | Event | |
| 1715 | Benedictine Chaplains to the Molyneux family at Woolton Hall. | |
| 1731 |
The ‘Woolton Mission’ was founded at St. Benet’s Priory in Watergate Lane. Our Parish school – Much Woolton Catholic Primary now stands on this site. |
|
| 1859 | The Foundation Stone of the present Church was laid and dedicated to the patronage of Saint Benet. | |
| 1860 | The Church was opened on 28th October | |
| 1861 | The Church was renamed Saint Mary’s | |
| 1869 | The School building (now the Parish Centre) and the Presbytery were built. | |
| 1873 | The Cloisters were built, to join the Church and Presbytery. | |
| 1928 |
The Benedictines departed St Mary’s The Mill Hill Fathers became rectors. |
|
| 1931 | V. Rev. Dr. Charles Gelderd becomes the first secular Parish Priest of Saint Mary’s. | |
| 1947 | V. Rev Canon Edward Murphy is appointed Parish Priest and remains for the next 33 years. | |
| 1950 | Bishop Halsall celebrated the Mass of consecration in the Church on September 8th. | |
| 1980 | V. Rev. Mgr. John P. Mahony is appointed as Parish Priest | |
| 1981/2 | During the early 1980’s The Church interior was extensively redecorated and the font was moved to its current position at the front of the church. | |
| 1982 | Saint Benet’s Priory in Watergate Lane is demolished. | |
| 1984 | Saint Benet’s Cemetery is closed to make way for the housing development ‘Priory Way’. Remains, tombstones, monuments and other memorials were transferred to the graveyard at Saint Mary’s. | |
| 1987 | An ecumenical covenant is signed with the other churches in Woolton: St James’, St Peter’s and the United Reformed Church pledging a cooperative witness of Christ’s people. | |
| 1989 | V. Rev. Mgr. Peter W. Ryan appointed as Parish Priest. | |
| 1999 | Rev. Fr. Patrick O’Brien appointed as Parish Priest. | |
| 2011 |
Following Fr. Pat’s retirement Rev. Fr. Timothy J Buckley C.Ss.R. appointed Parish Priest. The Redemptorist Community at Bishop Eton take Pastoral Responsibility for the Parish |
|
| 2025 | In September 2025, the Pastoral Responsibility for the parish was returned to the Archdiocese, with Fr Peter McGrail appointed Parish Priest and Fr Peter Murphy as his assistant. |
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