Sacred Heart Church

Mick · 26-01-2004, 18:31

pics of sacred heart church in the prosess of demoliton

Atarah · 27-01-2004, 09:04

I didn't know they had started to demolish! What a shame! Thats another of our fine buildings going. We are going to have nothing of interest left in Accrington.

Atarah · 27-01-2004, 09:09

Here's an old, internal view of the church

Mick · 27-01-2004, 14:56

sorry about the pic got size wrong
will try again i have loads of the inside as well

littlemo · 28-01-2004, 01:01

OMG, scuse the pun, this should not be allowed. When did this happen? I thought it was just a rumour. wasn't anything done to try and save it?

Owd Bert · 28-01-2004, 14:25

Demolition under way at the back of the Church.

littlemo · 29-01-2004, 13:35

and it looks like the windows are still in. I used to love the stained glass and the big huge Oak doors round the back. that too bad stuff like that wasn't salvaged. I'm still stunned that nothing could have been done to stop it.

Darby · 29-01-2004, 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlemo

and it looks like the windows are still in. I used to love the stained glass and the big huge Oak doors round the back. that too bad stuff like that wasn't salvaged. I'm still stunned that nothing could have been done to stop it.

Littlemo,

Note that the JCB doing the demolition is Connollys. They have a yard down Coach Road in Church and it's full of big stones which they flog at inflated prices. I can assure you that they will look after all the stone and flog it as soon as they can as Holy or Consecrated stone!!

Tealeaf · 29-01-2004, 17:08

Darby's right. The stone & slate will be salvaged and sold at an exorbitant price....so too the seating inside. The alter and other icon's will probably be locked up somewhere.

It seems that all the lessons of the 60's on the wanton destruction of Victorian buildings appear to have passed Accrington by. OK, I know the Church (CE or Rome) has a dwindling congregation and that a building such as the SH is too big; but to have it pulled down on the basis there was dry rot in the rafters is ridiculous. Surely someone could have had a little bit of imagination to invest in saving the roof and then using the building for other purposes. This is vandalism & madness in the extreme. No wonder noone goes to Church Service while these to**ers are in charge.

mez · 29-01-2004, 17:50

sacred heart was roman catholic, i went to 10am mass every sunday there , i had all my 3 children christened there , but the cost & upkeep was enourmous & as t said it had a dwindling congregation, i always found it a very cold church, i have goneback to my original church st, marys up ossy which if you remember could have been one of those to be pulled down , i must addmitt im glad it wont become a mosque//

Darby · 30-01-2004, 07:00

It may not become a Mosque, but I bet it'll become a Muslim School for wayward boys

or a training school for Muslim Clerics

. Watch that space!!

Mick · 30-01-2004, 07:45

The area is to have houses built on it
All the interier of the church went a 2 monthes ago
there is no stained glass in there the only glass is clear window glass
the big rose window at the front is window glass .
The priest houses down the side have now gone
but i know someone who got a 28 in tv and a full bathroom set out of it .
so all the interier of the buildings has gone
most of the church inside was sent to other churches
its just a shame about the building

Tealeaf · 30-01-2004, 10:09

Hey Mez,

I was a bad catholic boy & I remember going to the Sacred Heart for mass every sunday.

Does anyone remember the priest there called Stack? He was the catholic answer to Ian Paisley - a classic hell fire & brimstone sermon was guaranteed every week from him. A complete nut. I think he also claimed to be the cousin of the American Actor Robert Stack (The Untouchables). I just wonder what he would think of this sorry mess.

lettie · 30-01-2004, 16:46

Only went to sacred heart church once. This was in 1996 for a funeral, and I swear that the priest was blind drunk. Everyone in there, who went regularly said that this was quite normal for him! It was cold inside, but most churches are, St James in Accy centre has always been freezing when I've been in there. Sacred Heart was a lovely building though.

jambutty · 31-01-2004, 01:16

In the late 40's and early 50's the 9th Loyola scout troop was based there. Er! I think that it was the 9th. We had some great times learning to tie each other in knots and the highlight of a meeting was the game of British Bulldog before staggering home to get a bag of chips on the way. Even though I wasn't keen on attending mass etc. it is a shame that yet one more fine old building has gone. I'm glad I'm not a building 'cos they'd have pulled me down long ago.