St Winefride's Church (also known as St Winifred's Church or St Winefred's Church) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Holywell Holywell may refer to: * Holywell, Flintshire, Wales * Holywell, Swords, Ireland * Holywell, Bedfordshire, England * Holywell, Cambridgeshire, England * Holywell, Cornwall, England * Holywell, Dorset, England * Holywell, Eastbourne, East Susse ...

, Flintshire. It was founded by the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

and was until recently the first church in the United Kingdom to be administered by the

Vocationist Fathers The Society of Divine Vocations ( la, Societas Divinarum Vocationum) abbreviated S.D.V., also commonly known as the Vocationists, is a Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (Priests and Brothers) founded by ...

now since departed as the parish returns into diocesan hands. It is Grade II listed building.British listed buildings
retrieved 20 October 2013 It was the first church the Jesuits built in Wales.

History

It was founded by the Jesuits in 1832. They went on to establish

St Beuno's College St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre, known locally as St Beuno's College, is a spirituality and retreat centre in Tremeirchion, Denbighshire, Wales. It was built in 1847 by the Jesuits, as a theology college. During the 1870s the Victorian poet Ge ...

in 1848. From the college they also founded other churches such as Our Lady of the Assumption Church in

Rhyl Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at ...

and Our Lady of Ransom and the Holy Souls Church in

Llandrindod Wells Llandrindod Wells (, ; cy, Llandrindod, /ɬanˈdɾindɔd/ "Trinity Parish"), sometimes known colloquially as Llandod, is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powys ...

. By the 1930s they handed over the church to the

Diocese of Wrexham The Diocese of Wrexham, is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff. History The diocese was erecte ...

. On 19 August 1991, the church was designated a Grade II listed building. On 6 April 2008, the

Bishop of Wrexham The Bishop of Wrexham is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham in the Province of Cardiff in Wales. The diocese covers an area of and consists of the Welsh historic counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, Denbighshire, Flintsh ...

Edwin Regan Edwin Regan (born 31 December 1935) is a Welsh prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second Bishop of Wrexham from 1994 to 2012. Biography Edwin Regan was born in Port Talbot, and studied at St. John's Seminary, Waterford, I ...

, invited the Vocationist Fathers to the church who until 24th April 2023 administered the parish. it has now reverted back to a diocesan priest administration as before.

Shrines

Holywell

Within the parish is one of the

Seven Wonders of Wales The Seven Wonders of Wales ( cy, Saith Rhyfeddod Cymru) is a traditional list of notable landmarks in north Wales, commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme: The rhyme is usually supposed to have been written sometime in the late 18th or ear ...

, St Winefride's Well, a shrine and site of pilgrimage. The shrine and relics are in the care of the church.

Pantasaph

Close to the parish, near Holywell, is the ''National Shrine of St Pio and St David's Church'' in the village of Pantasaph. It was founded in 1852, by the

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

Parish

The Vocationist Fathers also serve the Sacred Heart church in

Hawarden Hawarden (; cy, Penarlâg) is a village, community (Wales), community and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in Flintshire, Wales. It is part of the Deeside conurbation on the Wales-England border and is home ...

. The church was founded by the

and was built in the late twentieth century. It has one Sunday Mass at 10:30am.Parish
from SacredHeartCatholicChurchHawarden.org retrieved 10 September 2021 St Winefride's has three Sunday Masses, one at 6:00pm on Saturday evening in the church, and at 9:30am and 5pm on Sunday in the chapel of St Winefride's Well. There are weekday Masses at 9:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at 7:00pm on Tuesday and Thursday.

Stained glass

File:St Winefride's Church chapel stained glass, Holywell.jpg File:St Winefride's Church nave stained glass, Holywell.jpg St Winefride's Church aisle stained glass, Holywell.jpg

References

External links

*
St Winefride's Church Main Website

Vocationist Fathers UK site

St Winefride's Well site

Pantasaph Franciscan Friary site

Artwork at St Winefride's Church, Holywell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holywell, Saint Winefride Church Grade II listed churches in Flintshire Grade II listed Roman Catholic churches in Wales Roman Catholic churches completed in 1912 1832 establishments in Wales Neoclassical architecture in Wales 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Vocationist churches in the United Kingdom Neoclassical church buildings in the United Kingdom