Church History

Prior to the start of the Second World War a Catholic Church in Churchdown did not exist. 

On September 2^nd1939 some 200 Catholic children were evacuated with their Headteacher and staff from St Anne’s School, Birmingham to Churchdown.

The next day, September 3^rd when the Second World War started, Canon M.J. Roche, Parish Priest at St. Peter’s, Gloucester celebrated Mass in the Assembly Room of the Chosen Hotel in Station Road (now demolished).

We were served thereafter from Gloucester, Prinknash and Blaisdon. In early 1942 we moved to the skittle alley at the Hare and Hounds (another pub); in August 1944 to Sandycroft Social Club (now ‘Horizons). After a fire, we used the bar lounge until Brennan Brothers completed the conversion of the brick-build farm buildings to our church.

 On December 8^th 1954, 80 – 90 parishioners assembled to see Canon Roche unveil the statue of Our Lady and to say the Rosary. On December 19^th 1954, 192 were present at the first Mass, and on Sunday March 6^th 1955, our church was blessed and dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour by Canon Roche. On the following Sunday the Bishop, the late Rt. Rev. Joseph Rudderham, came to celebrate Mass. On March 1^st 1957, canon Roche said a farewell to his ‘barn church’ and handed it over to Fr. Edward Moriarty.

On July 12th 1968, Fr. Moriarty left for Trowbridge and we welcomed Fr. John Lee, who remained until July 1984 when Fr. Donal Daly came. On June 16th 1991, the last Masses were celebrated in the ‘barn church’. We used ‘Horizons’ and St. Martin’s at R.A.F. Innsworth until the great day of completion of this church on 3^rd May 1992, when well over 500 attended the three masses that day.

After Fr Daly retired, Fr Kevin Hennessey took over the Parish in 2005 and was a Parish Priest until 2017.

Present Parish Priest is Fr Paul Brandon.