Consecration of St Aidan's Church 24th March 1915

Consecration of St. Aidan’s Church.

“You have had a hard struggle for your church, but you have persevered, and now all the difficulties and troubles are almost at an end and you have a beautiful church.”

said Dr. Knox, the Bishop of Manchester, at the consecration of St. Aidan’s Church on Wednesday 24^th March, 1915.

When St Aidan’s was consecrated, its parishioners and their first Vicar, the Rev. Hartley Harrison, must have been very proud of their achievements. The Church had been designed by Temple Moore, a distinguished church architect and built by T S Ullathorne & Sons of Selby. The original design for the Church had been modified and there were insufficient funds to complete the Tower. This all took place in the middle of the Great War when many of the young men of the Parish were fighting for their country or had already been listed as casualties.

We have inherited not only a beautiful building but also the pride and determination of that original congregation. We are proud of St Aidan’s Church not just as a building but also as an important part of the local community.

Bishop Knox concluded his sermon

“I pray that God will give you grace to use aright the gift which He has put into your possession.”

Tribute by Canon Hartley to the new church and its parishioners

“ the realisation of a vision for long cherished”

“a special pleasure and privilege to join in the services”

“A church built in a spirit of devotion and self-sacrifice is bound to bring blessings not only to the congregation,

but also to the neighbourhood.”

The “church would not be a congregational church, but a parochial church, because every soul is dear to Christ, and those who are privileged to work there are doing the work for which He came.”

as reported in the Rochdale Times 31.3.15

Sermon by Rev. H. Edmund, Vicar of St Alban’sat the first evening service 24th March 1915

St Aidan’s Church

TEXT : I was glad when they said unto me,

We will go into the house of the Lord.

(Psalm 122)

“ I have known something of the labours of the people connected with this place and of the faith and courage which inspired them. The great work, culminating in the opening of this splendid building, has been shared in and sacrificed for by many and … is to a great extent the fruit of the ministry of your vicar. From and around that individual ministry has grown up … a spirit of liberality and devotion which has made the name of St Aidan’s Parish to be held in high honour throughout the whole of the deanery of Rochdale”

“I hope that … from within these walls might go forth a spirit of faith and love which should be shown in a spirit of humane service, so that every good cause should always be sure of sympathy.”

as reported in the Rochdale Observer 3.4.15