St Joseph’s Window Sponsorship Program

Dear Parishioners,

I am delighted to write to you with news of a project that both honours our past and looks with hope to the future: the launch of the St Joseph’s Window Sponsorship Program.

Many of you will know that our beautiful stained-glass windows were first installed between 1873 and 1912. Crafted by the renowned Hardman & Co. of Birmingham, these windows have not only adorned our church with breath-taking beauty, but have also formed the backdrop to the prayers, Masses, weddings, funerals, and sacraments of countless parishioners over generations. They are silent storytellers, proclaiming the mysteries of the Rosary, the lives of the saints, and the Gospel itself to all who enter. These windows were a gift of sacrifice—funded by the Dalton family and ordinary parishioners of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In recent years, we’ve discovered that time and weather have taken their toll. Since 2019, major restoration works have been underway to preserve them for the future.

We have been able to complete just over half the project. However, to restore the remaining windows and address urgent repairs to our roof and drainage, we now need your help. That’s why we’re launching this sponsorship program.

There are many ways to get involved: you may wish to sponsor a window individually, as a family, with a group of friends, or simply contribute whatever you can to the general fund. All sponsors will be acknowledged, and window sponsors will receive a certificate, a photograph and commentary on their window, and a plaque placed beneath it as a lasting sign of gratitude. This is our moment to honour the vision and sacrifice of those who came before us and to pass that legacy on to the next generation. It is a chance to say, ‘We, too, were faithful stewards of the heritage entrusted to us.’

I invite you to prayerfully consider how you might be part of this beautiful work. Scroll down for further information, including sponsorship levels and an expression of interest form. Our parish team is also available to answer any questions you may have.

Let us work together to ensure that the light which has shone through these windows for 150 years will continue to shine brightly for many generations to come.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Gregory Bellamy EV VF PP