History of St Peter’s

The parish of St. Peter’s was formed in 1967 with Father John Bergon as the first parish priest.

With the new parish of St. Paul’s, mass was said in the nun’s convent on Eleanor Road and the presbytery was at 308 Ford Road, Upton.

When Father Bergon left, in 1971, the parishes were split, one for each of the estates that were being built: Beechwood and Noctorum, and the Salvatorian order were asked to take over the parish of St. Peter’s, although the presbytery continued to be at 308 Ford Road in Upton. Father Morley became parish priest. He established a committee to help him develop the parish and get a church built. The first members were: Mr. J. Prestage, Mr. J Denye, Mr. T. Walton, Mr. F. Benson and Mr. C Arrowsmith.

After Father Morley left in 1974, Father Quinn arrived. Mass at this time was still held in St. Peter’s school. The caretaker of the school, Peter Fregona would set the school up for mass after the children had gone home on Friday. Peter and his family continued to live on the estate and his wife Nelia was the sacristan at St. Peter’s church for many years, right up until the pandemic, when she was already in her 90s.

During the later years of Father Quinn’s tenure, the committee was disbanded having successfully established the parish and the building of the church, which opened in 1976.

After Father Quinn’s departure, Father G. Daley arrived and a curate, Father Giorgio, who started activities for started the youth of the parish, including a very good guitar club. It was around this time that 2, Beryl Road was purchased to be used as the presbytery for St. Peter’s.

Father Daley and Father Giorgio remained at St. Peter’s until the parish was handed back to Shrewsbury diocese from the Salvatorians in 1987. At this point Father John Gordon became the new parish priest.

The present parish priest, Father John Hovington arrived in 1997 and in 2008 Father John took over the nearby parish of Holy Name of Jesus in Oxton as well, moving there after that presbytery was refurbished. 2, Beryl Rd was later demolished, and flats were built for retired priests on the site.