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Our Lady and St Cuthbert's Church
Our Lady and St Cuthbert's Church
	55°46′11″N 1°59′58″W / 55.7696°N 1.9994°W
OS grid reference	NU001529
Location	Berwick-upon-Tweed
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	Official website
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Mary, mother of Jesus, Cuthbert
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	9 February 1996
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	25 June 1829
Administration
Province	Liverpool
Diocese	Hexham and Newcastle
Deanery	Lindisfarne
Parish	Berwick

Our Lady and St Cuthbert Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England. It was built in 1829 in the Gothic Revival style, intentionally hidden away from the street. It is located on Ravensdowne to the south of Berwick Barracks in the centre of the town. It is a Grade II listed building.^[3]

History

Foundation

During the Reformation the Catholics in Berwick and the surrounding area were served by Jesuit priests who were based in Berrington and Haggerston. In 1799, two French Catholic priests, escaping the French Revolution, were resident in Berwick in a property bought for them by the Sir John Haggerston. They celebrated Mass in a chapel next to the house. In 1810, they were replaced by Benedictine priests.^[4]

Construction

The Benedictine priests, with the Haggerston Baronets, bought the site of the current church. It was built to have a capacity of 300 people. On 25 June 1829, it opened. The old priest house became a school. In 1852, the church was given a painting of the Agony in the Garden by a local man, James Grieve, who was originally given the painting by King Charles X of France. In the 1880s, the church was extended, doubling in size. The current chancel and north window were built. The school building was replaced by St Cuthbert's School, which later moved and the building became the parish centre.^[4]

Parish

At some point the Benedictine priests left the parish and were replaced by priests from the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. The church is currently served by a Carmelite, Fr Paul Jenkins. The parish is partnered with St Aidan's Church in Seahouses and St Aidan's Church on Lindisfarne. Our Lady and St Cuthbert's Church has two Sunday Masses at 6:00pm on Saturday and 9:30am on Sunday.^[2]