ST CATHERINE OF SIENA CATHOLIC CHURCH, DIDSBURY
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St Ambrose
​
Originally dedicated to St Ambrose of Milan, the parish adopted St Ambrose Barlow as its patron when the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales were canonised in 1970.

St. Ambrose (339-397) was the bishop of the Italian city of Milan. He was the outstanding leader, preacher, and author in the Western part of the Christian Church during the 4th century, challenging the Roman Emperor to manage the Empire using Christian values rather than the traditional pagan practices. One of his greatest achievements was the conversion and baptism of Augustine of Hippo who would go on to become one of the greatest Doctors of the Church.

St Ambrose Barlow was born at Barlow Hall (now Chorlton Golf Club) in 1585. He was the fourth son of the Barlow family who had been reluctant converts to the Church of England after the suppression of the Catholic Church; later the family had two thirds of their estate confiscated as a result of refusing to conform.

On 30 November 1585, Ambrose was baptised at St James Church, Stenner Lane, Didsbury; his baptism entry reads, "Edwarde legal sonne of Alex' Barlowe gent' 30".

At the age of twenty-two, the then Edward Barlow converted to Roman Catholicism. Later on, he realised that his true vocation was for the priesthood, so he travelled to Douai in France to study, and then to Valladolid in Spain. Ordained as a priest in 1617, and taking the name, Ambrose, as a Benedictine monk, he returned home to Barlow Hall.

A little later, based in Astley, Lancashire, Ambrose secretly catered for the needs of Catholic community for the next twenty-four years. Arrested several times and released without charge, Ambrose was finally arrested on Easter Day 1641, taken to Lancaster Castle where he defended his life as a Catholic priest, was found guilty, and sentenced to death. In the traditions of the time, two days later, he was drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, hanged, dismembered, quartered, and boiled in oil; what a contrast to the comfortable life he could have enjoyed in middle-class Chorlton!

Ambrose became Saint Ambrose Barlow in 1970 when together with thirty-nine other English and Welsh martyrs, Pope Paul VI canonised many of those who had been martyred during the reign of Elizabeth I. A relic of St Ambrose Barlow, his jaw bone, is kept at St Ambrose Church, Chorlton.

"Let them fear that have anything to lose which they are unwilling to part with."  (St Ambrose Barlow on his arrest)

With his local connections, it’s no surprise that the twenty-one parishes of South Manchester form the Deanery of St Ambrose Barlow; similarly, the Catholic high school serving South Manchester, The Barlow RC High School Didsbury, is under the patronage of St Ambrose Barlow.
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St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, School Lane, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6HS
T: 0161 445 2079 Email: ​[email protected]

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  • Home
  • THIS WEEK
  • St Catherine's
    • Children's Liturgy
    • Children's Sacramental Programme
    • Parish Music
    • Ministers of Holy Communion
    • Readers at Mass
    • Community Centre
    • Parish History >
      • Laying the Foundation Stone
    • Our Parish 90th Anniversary
  • Sacraments & Liturgy
    • Baptism
    • Reconciliation
    • Holy Communion
    • Confirmation
    • Marriage
    • Priesthood & Religious Life
    • Anointing of the Sick
    • Funerals: Planning Liturgy >
      • Funerals: Financial Considerations
  • Parish Groups
    • Community Sponsorship Group
    • CAFOD Group
    • Scout Group >
      • Beavers
      • Cubs
      • Scouts
    • Lunch Club
    • Legion of Mary
    • Mothers' Prayer Group
    • Cleaning & Gardening
    • Bolivia Support
  • Our Schools
    • St Catherine's RC Primary School
    • The Barlow RC High School
    • Sixth Form Colleges
  • Other information
    • Safeguarding
    • Financial support & Gift Aid
    • Church reopening & COVID-19
  • Contact Us