Princess Road Synagogue in Liverpool

From the very early days of its origins and starting to build just after the turn of the 20th century, through to its completion in 1978 after 74 long, hard, but rewarding years, the unfolding story of this great cathedral, the largest in the whole of the UK and the fifth largest in the world, is unique and fascinating.

The current building of the Cathedral of Liverpool was the fourth attempt of the Catholic Church in the North West of England to built a ‘mother church’ for the diocese in Liverpool. The execution of the building from start to finish has been a long process that stretches back over a century. During the fourth attempt in 1960, Architects from all over the world were invited to design a cathedral. The building had to be built within five years and should not coast more than £1,000,000. In the end, Sir Frederick Gibberd’s design was chosen and the building began in 1962. In 1967 the cathedral was consecrated. Besides the special shape, the cathedral has received original nicknames such as ‘Paddy’s wigwam’ or ‘Launch ramp of the Pope’.

The last bomb site in Liverpool, St Luke's is testament to the brave people who lived and died during the May Blitz of 1941; as such it carries with it the legacy of those who formed the congregation and community for over a century before the start of the Second World War.