A Church Community with Jesus, Son of God, The Word Made Flesh, and The (Sunday) Eucharist, the source and summit of our salvation, as its foundation and strength. It is Jesus, who invites us, and is the host, and The Living Bread, who feeds us through Word and Sacrament, and sends us out to proclaim The Good News.
The largest church in Brigg St Mary’s plays a key role in life in the town. It boasts a spacious church hall used by community groups across the town.
The church opened in 1965, dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It stands out as one of the best architectural features in Brigg.
Catholic worship in Brigg has a fascinating history. In 1792 a Penal Chapel housed Roman Catholic priests serving Brigg and other Lincolnshire towns. To protect the clergy it did not look like a place of worship. In the early 19th Century two French priests built a small chapel on Scawby Road. A tombstone for one of the priests lies in the grounds of St Mary’s.
Major change came for Brigg’s Catholics when landowning family the Elwes converted to Catholicism in 1874. A former coach house next to their Manor House in Brigg became a chapel in 1875. Catholics worshipped there for 90 years. The family also opened the first Catholic primary school in the town.
The present St. Mary’s Church opened thanks to a major fundraising drive by Father O’Hanlon. He came to the parish in 1949 and raised £15,000 in nine years. Father O’Hanlon was an influential figure in the town. The Town Council named a street O’Hanlon Avenue in his honour.
A fine crucifix which hangs over the high altar in St Mary’s in memory Father David Bradbury, who died suddenly in 1966.
The church marked its 25th Anniversary in 1989 with a Flower Festival. In 2020 the Covid-19 outbreak forced the church to close. It is now open for worship once again. You are welcome to join in services led by current Parish Priest Father Michael.
To find out more about the interesting history of Catholicism in Brigg take a look at this article by Ursula Vickerton.
The Roman Catholic Parish of St Mary and St Augustine Webster 