The old church of St Patrick’s, situated in Mill Bank, suffered a disastrous roof collapse in 1903 and this prompted the purchase of land nearer the town centre and the erection of a new church in 1906.
Bishop Samuel Allen laid the foundation stone for the church and adjoining presbytery on June 9 th 1905. A copy of the local newspaper, the Journal, and a record of the event written in Latin were placed inside a cavity in the stone.
In 1592 Francis, son of Edward Forester of Watling Street, Wellington was admitted to the English College in Rome, but only four “papists” were recorded living in the area in 1676 and none c. 1693 or in 1772.
At the French Revolution, George Forester accommodated French priests at Dothill and in 1806 a Roman Catholic chapel at Dothill Lodge was registered by its priest Stephen LeMaître.
In 1834 there was a temporary chapel behind the Duke’s Head in New Street, Wellington and soon afterwards it moved to a nearby shop.
A new church opened in 1838 on the east side of Mill Bank. In 1851 average attendance was put at 300, a numerical strength attributable to an influx of Irish workers since the late 18th century. The church, dedicated to St. Patrick, was replaced in 1906 by a new one in King Street built of stone and brick in the Gothic style.
The old church served many uses before its demolition c. 1971, including those of a Catholic parish hall, a roller-skating rink, a cinema, a training centre for the unemployed, and a Catholic schoolroom.
Today the parish serves c. 2,000 people, a few of whom live some distance away, and up to 500 regularly attend Sunday Mass. For many years now we have had a growing Polish community in our midst and they gather for Mass every Sunday evening. In more recent times Mass has been celebrated once a month in the Syro-Malabar Rite for our Indian parishioners.