84 Acquisition International - August 2017 St. Teresa’s Youth Group, hosted by the Sacred Heart & St Teresa’s Church Wilmslow, was pleased to be the exclusive UK winner of the 2017 Business Elite award. To celebrate, we profiled both the history and work of this Cheshire based church, in the UK. he Diocese of Shrewsbury was founded in 1850, with its few missions in Cheshire being found mostly in the larger towns such as Birkenhead and Stockport. Within a generation, the number of churches increased substantially, newmissions were founded, particularly in the eastern part of the county in towns and villages bordering the railway lines. The Catholic Church in Wilmslow dates from 1873 and a tablet commemorating the first Rector of the mission, Father John Coulson, can be seen in the narthex of the church. There is another tablet below it commemorating early benefactors. The English missions became parishes under Canon Law only in 1908, when the church in this country ceased to be under the supervision of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. The first church was situated in Alma Lane, close to the present site of Wilmslow Fire Station and the presbytery was close by. However, in 1900 the Diocese of Shrewsbury was given land by the Trustees of the De Trafford family for the sole purposes of church, presbytery, parish hall and parish school. The church was built between 1911 and 1914, to the design of William Gillow, a member of the distinguished Lancashire Catholic family. Unhappily, Gillow died shortly after the completion of the church and the construction of the presbytery was delayed until the mid-1920s. The builders were Browns of Wilmslow. The site is a prime one in the centre of what is now a town. Gillow’s interior has been modified twice, once in the 1980s and more recently in 2008-9. The structure remains in excellent condition. The organ by Hardy of Stockport, was built in 1894 for a church in Marple and was placed in Saint Teresa’s in 1914. The Stations of the Cross were painted by a Benedictine nun of Talacre Abbey between 1923 and 1925, the copyright being sold to the Parish Priest for the sum of £1! The Shrine of Our Lady dates from 1957. The separate statue of Our Lady of Wilmslow, recalling a medieval devotion, has been placed in the narthex. As part of the more recent changes within the church, a separate Baptistery has been designed. The plinths of the font and of the tabernacle are identical in design. Company: St. Teresa’s Youth Group Sacred Heart & St Teresa’s Church Wilmslow Name: Ben Kowalewicz Email:
[email protected] Web: www.stteresawilmslow.org Address: Green Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 1LD UK Phone: +44 (0)1625 523 584 St. Teresa’s Youth Group Sacred Heart & St Teresa’s Church Wilmslow AMass of Activities T 1706AI52 A Mass of Activities Father Anthony Cogliolo is the parish priest of Sacred Heart and Saint Teresa Wilmslow, in the Diocese of Shrewsbury. He was ordained in 1969 at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, Rome after studying for the priesthood at the Beda College in Rome, between 1965 and 1969. He returned to the Diocese of Shrewsbury and served as assistant priest in Bromborough, Altrincham, New Brighton, between 1969 and 1980. He then served as the Parish Priest in Tarporley, Romiley, Ashton-on-Mersey and Weaverham before his appointment to Wilmslow during 2005 Father Cogliolo has the following degrees: B.A (Politics and Modern History) M.A. (Theology) and has recently been awarded a Doctorate in Religious Studies by the University of Wales. In addition to hosting St. Teresa’s Youth Group, the parish is also served by several Catholic Schools: • St Benedict’s Primary School, Handforth; • All Hallows Catholic College, Macclesfield; • St Ambrose College, Altrincham; • Loreto Grammar School, Altrincham and; • St Bede’s College, Manchester. Following baptism, the church offers the following sacraments for young people: First Communion In the middle of November each year, information will be placed in the church bulletin, asking for parents who feel their children are old enough to receive the sacrament, to attend an initial meeting with their children. After that the children will attend regular classes on their own. The celebration takes place annually. Depending on numbers, this may take place in conjunction with St. Pius X either in St. Teresa’s or St. Pius. Confirmation A notice will be placed in the bulletin asking children if they consider they are ready to take the sacrament. They will then meet with Father Cogliolo who will prepare them. The Celebration of the Sacrament, is presided by Bishop Mark. The venue changes each year throughout the LPA.