Welcome 

Welcome to the parish of Christ the King, Milnthorpe and Our Lady of Lourdes, Arnside.  We are a mainly rural parish in the South Lakes, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.  Our regular congregation averages 160-170 during the winter months, but swells quite dramatically during the holiday season, when many walkers, hikers, and lovers of the Lake District come to Mass.  We also have many people who spend their weekends at their static caravans, located in several areas of our parish.  Whether you are a casual visitor, or a regular visitor, we would like you to know that you are very welcome in our parish, and we look forward to seeing you, and perhaps meeting you over a coffee after Mass.

PARISH HISTORY

Our Lady of Lourdes, Arnside

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In the two centuries following the Reformation, Catholicism in the district was centred on Leighton Hall, subsequently expanding to the Parish of Yealand with the building of St. Mary's Church in 1852.

The first celebration of Mass in Arnside is recorded as being held in a private house in 1926 for a congregation of just seven people. Later in the same year a Roman Catholic Church was established at Pier Lane which had just been vacated by the Educational Institute. This continued to be used as a Mass Centre for over fifty years but it was often too small to accommodate those who wished to worship. In 1977 the Church was transferred to the present premises on Silverdale Road, which had started life as the first Arnside National School, and was dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.

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Christ the King, Milnthorpe

To locate the church visit this link to multimap.com

Milnthorpes' first Mass Centre began in 1935 and moved from place to place until it occupied the Old Malt Kiln, behind the present Presbytery, from 1946.  On the 22^nd November 1970 the present church was opened, the gift of two parishioners who had already from time to time helped to keep in good condition the "Old Church"

Of particular interest in the "new" church is a large stained glass window depicting the creation of the world, made by the monks of Buckfast Abbey and designed by Fr. Charles Norris, OSB.

A striking continuous 29 feet long ceramic tells the story of the Way of the Cross in one uninterrupted pictorial narrative, on the west wall of the church. Both this and the figure of Christ the King, on the entrance wall of the church, were designed and made by the famous Polish artist Adam Kossowski.

In 2008 an attractive stone built Parish Hall was added to the church, thanks to the generous gift of a parishioner.