Your Holy Name Story
From November 2017 to March 2018, we've been searching and speaking to people with memories and photos of the Holy Name Church.
We've heard stories of love and loss, nostalgic memories about the changing face of Manchester, and personal stories of family events. The Holy Name Church clearly played a key role as a focal point of community life, and we have collated some of the stories, photographs and memories, so that you too can see the impact and connection that the Holy Name Church had with the local community and of its rich cultural heritage in the local area.
Personal memories of the Church
The Church has long been a space where individuals and families have celebrated important events throughout their lives. Individuals we spoke to during the project spoke of their memories of Holy Communions, family Baptisms, the Whit Walks, Confirmations, Weddings and Funerals
Confirmations at the Holy Name Church
Deidre Carroll sent us this photo of herself at her Confirmation at the Holy Name Church, circa 1957/58. She mentioned how her mother had given her the money to go out and buy a pair of white shoes, as all the girls had to be dressed in white. To her horror, Deirdre had instead bought a pair of black, patent shoes, as seen in the photograph!
Weddings at the Holy Name Church
The Holy Name Church has long been a place of celebration, and what better event to celebrate than a wedding. Below are some photographs of weddings which took place within the Church.
Deidre Carroll sent us this photo of herself at her Confirmation at the Holy Name Church, circa 1957/58. She mentioned how her mother had given her the money to go out and buy a pair of white shoes, as all the girls had to be dressed in white. To her horror, Deirdre had instead bought a pair of black, patent shoes, as seen in the photograph!
Weddings at the Holy Name Church
The Holy Name Church has long been a place of celebration, and what better event to celebrate than a wedding. Below are some photographs of weddings which took place within the Church.
Nigel Slack sent this photo of his wedding day, 20th June 1987. He and his wife can be seen outside the steps of the Holy Name Church. |
Another wedding in the Holy Name Church, date unknown. |
This is a photo of the Lawson Family Golden Wedding
Anniversary celebrations
1965
on the steps of the Holy Name Church.
Below you can hear Shelia, one of the participants in the Your Holy Name Story project, talk about her memories of preparing for her Holy Communion at the Holy Name Church. Shelia attended the Holy Name School, which was located on Burlington Street, just around the corner from the Church.
We were contacted via email, by Eileen McParland,
who read an article in The Tablet about the Your
Holy Name Story project and got in touch.
She sent us a photograph of her Father’s (John Francis McParland)
first Communion at the Holy Name Church in 1929.
The Church as a centre of Worship
The Holy Name Church has also been a centre of personal and community worship over the years. The building itself may have changed over the years, but it has constantly facilitated the space for local people to get involved in Parish activities, be that attending mass or being part of the Whit Walks.
Holy Name Whit Walks, 1961.
Below you can hear an extract from the interview with local Irish photographer, Danny Claffey, talking about his memories of the Whit Walks..
The Holy Name Church was famous for its Missions. The photo above shows a mission preached by the Irish Jesuit Fathers in 1955. Note the people sat in the choir stands at the back! When full, the Church seats well over 1,000 people. Below, William Grundy, one of the participants in the Your Holy Name Story project, talks about his memories of the missions at the Holy Name Church.
The Church as a centre for social life
The Holy Name Church has always been at the service of the community. The Parish Hall offered itself as a centre for social life, and the local parishioners were spoilt for choice, with theatrical plays and music recitals to attend, along with regular dances, pot-luck meals and general social activities!
Here is a ticket from a dance held in the Holy Name Hall, 1947.
Have a listen to William below, talking about his memories of the dancing in the Holy Name Parish Hall.
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The photos to the left is of more tickets to events which took place at the Holy Name Church Parish Hall.
The photo to the right is taken of a social event taking place behind the Church for the Queen's Jubilee, 1977. |
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The changing image of the Holy Name Church and the surrounding area
The theme of change was a strong focal point when talking with participants who generously shared their memories of their involvement with the Holy Name Church. Not only has the facade of the Church changed over the years, with the building of the new tower and the sandblasting of the exterior to reveal the glowing colour that the Church is now, but the change has also been more uprooting and life-changing. In the 1960's much of the local housing which formed part of the Holy Name Parish was demolished, and individuals and families were moved out of the area as the University expanded.
The 'Your Holy Name Story' project was interested in exploring the relationship between the community and the church in the local area before the clearance and demolition of the so called ‘slum’ housing took place. The project then looked at how things had changed following the loss of the local parish, and explored the emotions felt towards this. In this section you can explore some of the changes that the Church has gone through over the years, hearing the first hand accounts of individual memories. You will then be able to see the current work that the Church is undergoing, and how you can play your part in supporting the Church and ensuring that its legacy continues far into the future.
Look at the two photos here and spot the difference.... These show the Church pre-tower, and post-tower! Can you also notice the colour of the stone work compared to the photo to the right? It's not just because it's black and white and colour! Listen to Jim and Michael explain this further... However, it's not simply the exterior of the Church that has changed as a result of the demolition of the local community. The make-up of the community within the four walls has also changed. The photograph below gives an indication of the incredible numbers of the congregation who attended the Holy Name Church. 
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Below, you can hear Shelia explain what the impact of the changing nature of the local community was upon the Church congregation. |
The demolition
The three photos above provide evidence of the extreme changes that happened within the neighbouring area. Notice the Holy Name Church in the background of these pictures, and the gradual clearance of the houses and local communities that took place.
Below, John remembers the process of demolition and the effect which it had upon his own life and the wider local community.
Below, John remembers the process of demolition and the effect which it had upon his own life and the wider local community.
The Holy Name Project Today
The buildingA complete survey of the church was made in 2016. Work has now began to repair damage and restore the fabric. We are grateful to Lloyd Evans Prichard, Architects, for their supervision and to the Heritage Lottery Fund for its support.
The first phase of work involved the removal of asbestos from below the church and took nine weeks. The next phase involves the repair of the roof at the eastern end of the church. If you want to support the repair work and play a part in continuing the rich cultural heritage and legacy of the Holy Name Church, then please do get in touch! |
The peopleA huge thank you to everyone who got involved with the 'Your Holy Name Story' and who helped us to celebrate the great heritage of Holy Name Church as a centre of life for a population of thousands in this part of Manchester.
It's not too late to get involved, if you think you've got some interesting photos which you'd like to share, or a particular memory of Holy Name Church which you would like to be part of the project, then get in touch! |
