Parish History

Our Responsibilities and Aims:

To sustain and strengthen the spiritual life of the parish.

To provide a good Catholic education for our children. To meet our financial commitments in so far as we can. To help others less fortunate than ourselves.

How It All Started

Fr. Marron acquired the site from the developers in 1969 and oversaw the planning / design of the church. The Architect was David Brown and the Building Contractor, Charlton’s. The total cost for the Site, Presbytery and Church was £70,000.

The diocese reckoned on about 10% of the population being Catholic and the need to provide a church for a Catholic population of 2000. The total projection of Cramlington’s population in the early ‘60’s was 60,000 which necessitated 3 churches.

The first church was planned to be centrally based. In 1969 work commenced on the building of St Paul’s School and also the Church. On 30th November 1969 Mass was celebrated for the first time in the new school by the Parish Priest, Fr. Tom Cass.

An S.V.P. Conference was formed at St. Paul’s on 15th February 1970 but unfortunately no longer exists.

The building of the church was completed in July of 1970 and the parishioners set to work cleaning the new building on 27th July to enable it to be opened on 29th July. Unfortunately vandals broke into the church and damaged the Holy Water Bowls when the church was ready to be opened but fortunately they were repaired prior to the Bishop arriving.

Helen McGrath was the first to be Baptised in the church on 2nd August 1970 by Fr. Creech, a Redemtorist Priest, standing in for Fr. Tom.

A Parish Mission lasting two weeks began on 22nd November 1970.

In January 1971 an extensive campaign began to get the Planned Giving Envelopes off the ground cumulating with a Parish Party and the first envelopes being received on 1st February 1971.

The first Parish Wedding was held on 20th March 1971 with Fr. Tom Cass officiating.

The Choir gave a radio Easter Broadcast on 11th April 1971. This was the first of very many Concerts / Performances given by our Choir.

On 13th June 1971 a group of children were the first to receive their First Holy Communion in the Parish. On 19th September 149 parishioners were Confirmed during a visit from Bishop James Cunningham.

Our first parishioner to be buried was Mary Armstrong, aged 89, the wife of James, with her Requiem Mass being celebrated on 23rd September 1971 by Fr. Tom Cass.

During July 2010 a new band, called 40 Years On, came together to perform as part of the parish’s 40 Year Celebration. It consisted of Eddie M & Peter C- Rhythm Guitar, Pamela McG – Violin, Claire M – Flute, Claire L – Piano Keyboard, Andy B – Drums, Billy C – Bass Guitar, Les S, Ken A & Bob W – Lead Guitar & Vocals, Rachael S – Lead Vocalist and Bill C – Bodhran, Harmonica & Vocals. Their first concert was performed in church during November 2010 as part of the 40 Year Celebration programme. A CD was then recorded, mixed, mastered and became available for sale in September 2011. Copies are available from Bob W. A further concert followed at the Benedictine Social Centre in September 2011 where £410 was raised in aid of the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Appeal.

Our first Centenarian parishioner was Margaret Martin who celebrated her 100th birthday on 2nd April 2011. She died in September 2012.

OUR PRIESTS.

  • Fr. Tom Cass 1969-1983 with Curates Fr. Paul McDermott 1972-1989 & Fr. Michael Sweeney 1975-1979
  • Fr. Eddie Gibbons 1984-1993 with Curates Fr. Paul Tully 1990-1991 & Fr. Peter Windram 1992-1993
  • Fr. Paul Southgate 1993-1999
  • Fr. John Skivington 1999-2006
  • Fr. Simon Lerche 2006 to 2014
  • Fr. Lee Barrett 2015 – April 2019
  • Monsignor Phil Carroll (for Pastoral Care) April 2019 – 24th August 2019
  • Fr. Paul Jenkins 31 August 2019 – 30 August 2021
  • Fr. Manoj Joseph 31 August 2021 with Curate Fr. Sebastian Francis  – to date.