Saint Oswald and Saint Thomas of Canterbury Parish Church, Chester

The former Benedictine Abbey of St Werburgh, now the Cathedral, housed the ancient Parish Church of Saint Oswald which ministered to the people of this city Parish until the consecration of the present Parish Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury in 1872. (Architect: Sir George Gilbert Scott.) This church was built to serve the Parish of Saint Oswald in the newly built residential area to the north of the city walls.

The church contains many fine stained glass windows, the West window by Charles Eamer Kempe, and a magnificent carved reredos by Deacon.

The Parish name of Saint Oswald was lost at the formation of the Chester Team Parish in 1973.
On the 1^st March 2005 the Team Parish of Chester was dissolved into two new parishes.

The new parish is called Saint Oswald and Saint Thomas of Canterbury, this restores the ancient patron of the Parish and incorporates the patron of the Parish church. The remaining part of the Team Parish of Chester forms the Parish of Saint Peter with Saint John the Baptist.

There is a long and well-established tradition of Anglo-Catholic worship.

The Church is located in a densely populated part of Chester. Many of the residents are students living in rented accommodation and attending the adjacent University of Chester, which was founded as a Church of England Theological College during the Anglo-Catholic awakening in the 1830s.

The Chancel and High Altar

Worship at S Thomas of Canterbury
Sundays
9:00 a.m. Low Mass
10:00 a.m. Sung Mass
6:00 p.m. Sanctus at Six ::
A variety of services including
Evening Prayer, Compline and Mass
Weekdays
Wednesday 7:00 pm Low Mass

Saints' Days and other Holy Days
7:30 pm Sung Mass (as announced)

Contact details for the Vicar can be found on the Clergy page