Wrexham Cathedral
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows also known as Wrexham Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral
in Wrexham
, North Wales
. It is the seat
of the Bishop of Wrexham
, and mother church
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham
.
in 1857. Its architect, E. W. Pugin
, adopted a 14th century Decorated Gothic style. The church replaced an earlier chapel which by the 1850s was deemed insufficient for the growing congregation. Further additions to satisfy a still growing congregation were made in the mid 20th century, in the form of the cloister and side chapel .
The church was designated a Pro-cathedral
in 1898 upon the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. It is the seat
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of the Bishop of Wrexham
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, Flintshire, Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire The Bishop of...
, and mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Wales. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, directly subject to the authority of His Holiness the Pope....
.
History
The cathedral was originally built as a parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in 1857. Its architect, E. W. Pugin
E. W. Pugin
Edward Welby Pugin was the eldest son of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton. His father, A. W. N. Pugin, was a famous architect and designer of Neo-Gothic architecture, and after his death in 1852 Edward took up his successful practice...
, adopted a 14th century Decorated Gothic style. The church replaced an earlier chapel which by the 1850s was deemed insufficient for the growing congregation. Further additions to satisfy a still growing congregation were made in the mid 20th century, in the form of the cloister and side chapel .
The church was designated a Pro-cathedral
Pro-cathedral
A pro-cathedral is a parish church that is temporarily serving as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese.-Usage:In Ireland, the term is used to specifically refer to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin since the Reformation, when Christ Church...
in 1898 upon the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia.