General
St Andrew's, having passed resolutions A, B and C is a 'Forward in Faith' parish under the pastoral care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet.
To find us, leave the M6 Junction 10 on the A454 to Walsall town centre. Turn left on to Hollyhedge Lane; the Church is up the hill on the right the entrance is in Birchills Street.






The Parish



The name BIRCHILLS is nothing whatever to do with Birch trees but comes from the Anglo Saxon word BRYCE meaning a newly enclosed or broken up ground. The area was farmland in the parish of St. Matthew, Walsall, until the nineteenth century, when it became part of the parish of St. Peter's, Stafford Street.

The Parish boarders Walsall town centre on its eastern edge and Junction 10 of the M6 on its western boundary. The Walsall "Locks" run alongside the church with a canal museum situated at the "top lock", Old Birchills St. The parish also incorporates Reedswood Park.



Dwellings immediately around the church consist mainly of pre war terraced houses. There are also semi -detached and newly built private houses in the north of the parish. Where once the parish was solidly white "working class". It is now truly multi cultural with residents originating from all continents and many countries. These bring with them diverse faiths and practices. The parish has been designated UPA.




The Church




A mission Church was planted in a church school on Hollyhedge Lane in 1855. This was used for services until St. Andrew’s was built. Starting to build the church wasn't easy. Father Alfred Henry Jones, the priest in charge, collected £1000.00 and began to build; but his health failed. Money was scarce and the people of the district poor. For four years, when the walls of the church were no more than six feet high building work was entirely suspended. Better times came and by 1887, Father Frederick Parrett succeeded Father Jones and completed the church. The consecration took place on St. Andrew's Day in that year. The Architects were CUTTS of London and the building finally cost £3,800.00. 


St. Andrew's became a separate parish on March 6th 1889. Father Parrett was the first Vicar, but he only stayed a few months after that. On 6th May 1890 Father Ronald Wynn Griffith was instituted. Thus began a ministry of 37 years in the parish, during which the complex of buildings was completed, the Parish Hall in 1902 and the Vicarage in 1916-18 (this has since been sold and a new vicarage built on Hollyhedge Lane). Many terraces of houses were built and it became for those days a populous parish.




During Fr. Wynn Griffith's ministry the stained glass windows each depicting a Saint were installed, the Lady Chapel furnished, and the Church made more devotional with Shrines of Our Lady, St. Joseph, and Stations of the Cross. The organ was built in Walsall by the firm Nicholson & Lord. The High Altar Reredos, and the external Calvary were erected as Memorials to those who died in the First World War.


The author Vivian Bird in his book "Staffordshire" writes as follows: - "also in Birchills, tucked away beside the canal, is St Andrew’s Church, a gem in an unlikely setting. Seventy Saints adorn its windows, some, such as St Phocas and St John Nepomuck, so rare that I have never seen them elsewhere."




The subsequent history of this Hidden Gem was not spectacular but rather a gradual building up of a tradition, and alongside that the decoration of the building. Father Wynn Griffith inherited the following pattern of Sunday services: 8.00am. Holy Communion - 10.30 a.m. Mattins and Sermon -.6.30p.m: Evensong and Sermon. There was also a Communicants Guild founded in June (1885) and the Penny Bank (1888); in 1891 he introduced a Choral Communion on the first Sunday of every month. Five years later this had become a solemn Eucharist (with incense) at 11.00 a.m. on the first and third Sundays and on Festivals. 1897 saw this Solemn Mass take place every Sunday. In 1898 the Holy Eucharist began to be offered on the last Saturday of every month for the souls of the faithful departed; and 1899 saw the advent of a Daily Mass. An entry in the registers on June l2th 1921 records "The Blessed Sacrament Reserved" Deo Gratias."



On her death in 1878, Sister Dora, who had close connections with St Andrew's, bequeathed her prayer desk and Crucifix to the church. This is now used as a Confessional.

The third Vicar was Father G.E. Waldron Johnston (1926-53). Followed by Father John Lyon-Shaw 1953-58. Father John D. Andrews 1959-68, Father Stephen Hutchinson 1968-73, Father John Pascoe 1973-80, Father Christopher Marshall, 1980-86, Father Robert Hanson 1986-93, Father Andrew Mitchell 1994-2000 and from 2001 Father Mark Liddell SSC has been priest in charge.

The Anglo-Catholic Congress, Wednesbury, 1926. Brochure wrote as follows:

it is an industrial parish with an industrial population. To outside folk it may appear grey; but it is not really grey. Rather it is parti-coloured, with a very brightly coloured patch in the middle where stands the Church. For always the church has been brightly coloured, with its full Catholic ceremonial - lights, vestments, music, incense, and always the full Catholic Faith has been proclaimed there. Day by day the bell has rung out calling the faithful to worship, reminding those at work that the business of the church - worship and service - is being carried on.



Parish Records

Historic records of St Andrew (Birchills), Walsall, have been deposited at
Staffordshire Record Office, where they are available for consultation by
the public.  These include the parish registers of baptisms 1883-1959, and
marriages 1889-1953.

 
A catalogue of these records is available in "Gateway to the Past" - the online catalogue of the
Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service.  The Archive Service's
website  provides further information on
planning a visit to the office to consult records, should you wish to do so.








The Present




St Andrew's has had a glorious past. The full Catholic Faith is still proclaimed. The bell has been restored and now rings out as in times past. After a number of years in decline we are experiencing a moderate growth in membership, Praise God. The once derelict church hall has been completely renovated and is now used by different community groups for a variety of projects. E.g.





    

  •  Walsall College
    

  •  Children's Festivals & Activities
    

  •  Weddings
    

  •  Pothwari singing & Poetry evenings
    

  •  Indoor Markets

  •  Dance Classes

  •  Social Evenings etc








Worship




The Liturgy is modern Catholic with Vestments and Incense. 



                        


Day Time Service


Sunday8.00 amMass


10.30 amSung Mass


5.00 pmAs announced - for example

Evening Prayer & Benediction

The Rosary

Lucinarium and Anointing

Prayer & Praise


Monday-Morning Prayer


-Evening Prayer


Tuesday10.00 amMass



Wednesday7.30 pmMass



Thursday-Morning Prayer


-Evening Prayer


Friday10.00 amMass


Saturday-No Services


The Divine Office is said before the morning or evening Mass in the week,
and at 9.00 am and 4.30 pm respectively at other times.


















Contacts





Parish Priest	:-
    Fr Mark Liddell SSC

    St Andrew's Vicarage

    119 Hollyhedge Lane

    Birchills, Walsall

    West Midlands. WS2 8PZ

    Tel: 01922 721658

    E-mail: Liddell@fsmail.net


Church Wardens	
    Beryl Fullard			01922 648612

    Kathleen Branaghan		01922 639064








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