The building housing the Bishop Eton monastery was built in 1776. It was intended by its owner,
Unitarian minister Hezekiah Kirkpatrick, to be a school that would rival Eton College. After the closure of the school, it became a private residence. In 1843, the building was bought for two Catholic priests and cousins, James Sharples and George Brown. Sharples would become the bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Lancashire District and Brown would become the first Catholic Bishop of Liverpool. As they were bishops, the building was called Bishops' Eton. They built a chapel next to the building. It was designed by Augustus Pugin. In 1851, after the death of Sharples a year earlier, the Redemptorists were invited to buy the house, and it became a community of Redemptorist priests, Bishop Eton Monastery.[4]
Construction
In 1857 the Redemptorists replaced the chapel with Our Lady of the Annunciation Church. It was built from 1857 to 1858 and designed by Pugin's son, E. W. Pugin. In 1865 and 1866 further additions were made to the church. A high altar and tabernacle, both designed by John Francis Bentley, were installed. He also designed the pulpit and triptych, which was installed in 1889. The stained glass in the west window was designed by Charles Eamer Kempe. The stained glass in the north chapel depicting Our Lady of the Annunciation was made by Hardman & Co.[4]
Developments
In 1961, the church became a parish church. In 1973 a fire destroyed part of the church.[4] In 2011, the Redemptorists were asked to serve the nearby parish of St Mary's Church, Woolton, which they continue to do.
Parish
As the Redemptorists at Bishop Eton serve both parishes of St Mary's Church, Woolton and Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, the Masses at both do not happen at the same time. Sunday Masses are at 8:30am, 10.00am and 6.00pm at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church and at 11:00am at St Mary's Church, Woolton (Vigil Mass Saturday 5.30pm at St Mary's) .[5]
The parish is also linked with the nearby Our Lady's Bishop Eton Primary School.[6]
Bishop Eton Monastery
Entrance
Church and war memorial
Media related to Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton at Wikimedia Commons
