The History of the Church
&
St Ambrose Barlow
The Churchin the early 1960's Fr Thomas Foynes - the Parish priest of Holy Souls in Acocks Green - was asked by Archbishop Grimshaw to explore the possibilities of establishing a School and Mass centre in Hall Green with a view to forming a parish.
A Mass centre was formed using the school hall of Lakey Lane School once a week.
In 1969 St Christopher's School - now renamed St Ambrose Barlow School - was opened in the nearby Shirley Road.
The allotments next to Lakey Lane School provided the site for the first church and in 1970 a multi-purpose building to be used as a Church and Church Hall, together with a flat was used for the first time as a Mass Centre.
The Church was served from Our Lady of Lourdes nearby by Fr Denis O'Shea and his curate Fr Tom Fallon (now Mgr) to whom day to day responsibility was given.
In June 1979 Fr John Gunn (now Canon) was appointed as Parish Priest Designate and the new Catholic parish of Hall Green, Birmingham was formally recognised in November 1979.
In 1980 Construction of a new church started and the first mass was celebrated in the now current church in July 1981.
St Ambrose Barlow
(1585-1641)
Edward Barlow was born at Barlow Hall near Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester.From a Catholic family, his father, Sir Alexander Barlow had lost most of his wealth as a penalty for his beliefs,
Studying in Douai in France and Valladolid in Spain, Edward became a Benedictine monk and subsequently a priest in 1617 and was sent to carry on the English Mission in Lancashire.
He became widely known and was praised for his frugality and modesty, the simplicity of his ways and the devoutness of his beliefs. He spent his time walking on foot helping the sick and aged and procuring food for the aged.
At that time all Jesuits and Catholic priests had been banished from England under threat of arrest for treason. Arrested while preaching after Mass at Morley's Hall near Leigh on Easter Sunday 1641, he was arrested, without warrant, by a neighbouring Anglican minister and his angry congregation. He was brought before the local Justice of the Peace, formally arrested, charged and sent under armed guard to Lancaster Castle, a notorious prison.
After 4 months detention he was tried and was sentenced to death. On 10th September 1641 he was hanged, drawn and quartered - the death for a "traitor" in those days.
In 1970 he was canonised as one of the 40 martyrs of England & Wales. (This is why the website is red - the colour for martyrs)
Based on an essay by John Moss on www.manchester2002-uk.com
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