Parish Mass Times

Part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham Charity number 234216

Parish Priest
Fr. Kazimierz Stefek OSPPE
Tel: 01782 313734
Email: office@augustineandmary.org.uk

Assistant Priest
Fr. Jan M. Berny OSPPE
Tel: 01782 313734
Email: office@augustineandmary.org.uk

Deacon for Meir and Cresswell
Rev Trevor Borthwick (Retired)

Deacon for Caverswall
Rev Peter Bowyer

St Filumena’s Roman Catholic Church stands on the narrow road leading from Caverswall village square to Blythe Bridge.

In 1811 a community of Benedictine sisters, originally from Ghent in Belgium, settled in Caverswall Castle from Preston. They first created a chapel in the castle itself, but in 1812 the first Catholic chapel in Caverswall since the Reformation was built. It was opened by Bishop Milner on 26th Jan 1813.

The community hosted many great leaders of the Catholic community at the time, including Bishop Milner and Blessed Dominic Barberi. They founded a girls school that drew pupils from all over the Midlands, and eventually moved to Oulton. Catholics from Meir and Lane End (Longton) had attended mass at the convent until a separate chapel in the town was built for them in 1820.

In 1864 the present church of St Filumena was opened for the people of the area of the present parish covering Caverswall and Weston Coyney and most of Blythe Bridge.

“A fancy fair and gala were held in the grounds of Caverswall Castle, the residence of J.P. Radcliffe Esq on Monday last, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the funds of a new Catholic church which it is contemplated to erect at Caverswall. The bazaar, which was held in what was formerly the moat of the castle was furnished with a large and beautiful assortment of the articles generally contributed on such occasions and was very extensively patronised by an influential party of visitors, numbering from 900 to 1000.”

(Article from the Staffordshire Advertiser Newspaper, published on 20th September 1862).