Our Parish
Our Parish History
The parish was formed in 2007 after the merger of the two northern parishes in St Hugh’s Deanery, Peterborough of St Oswald King and Martyr and Sacred Heart, Bretton (based in the Holy Spirit Shared Church in the Cresset Centre) with the common denominator being the Sacred Heart Primary school, Tollgate, Bretton, Peterborough.
The present church building of St Oswald King & Martyr was opened by Bishop Leo of the Northamptonshire Diocese in 1959. Mass had been celebrated on the Paston Lane/Lincoln Road site since 1949 where Sunday Mass was supplied by priests from our mother church of St Peter and All Souls, Peterborough. The dedication of the church to St Oswald was in honour of the Mercian saint and King, Oswald, whose connection with Peterborough stems from the relic of his arm being displayed and venerated in Peterborough Cathedral in a chapel dedicated to him. His feast day is 5 August.
The presbytery at 933 Lincoln Road was acquired in the late 1960s and forms part of the current site. The church and presbytery car park entrance are on Paston Lane PE4 6HB.
The Sacred Heart Fathers were appointed by Bishop Clark of East Anglia to set up a church in the new township of Bretton, Peterborough to be called The Sacred Heart church. Initially, Mass was said in a house, but when the Cresset was built in 1978, it incorporated a church called the Holy Spirit church which was jointly shared by the Roman Catholics with the Church of England. When the Sacred Heart Primary school (originally called St William) was built in 1990, Mass was also said in the school hall and this continues to date. In 1997, Dorothy’s chapel was built as an extension to the school hall. This was made possible by a kind benefactor Arthur Ganthart, who made the generous gift in memory of his late wife Dorothy. Sacred Heart school was the first Catholic primary school to have its own Chapel in the Diocese of East Anglia where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.
The Holy Spirit church building in the Cresset remained within the Church of England family when Sacred Heart joined with St Oswald King and Martyr under one priest and vacated the Holy Spirit church in 2007. From 2007, Mass has been celebrated in Dorothy’s Chapel at Sacred Heart school each Sunday and on Holy Days. The feast day for the Sacred Heart is the 7th Friday after Easter.
Since the opening of St Oswalds, two major building projects have been undertaken. The first in 1983 provided toilet and refreshment facilities. The second in 2014 was the building of a parish hall with seating for 120 and better facilities for the new, merged parish of Sacred Heart and St Oswald.
Our Parish Priest
Originally from the vibrant region of South India, Fr. Seelan brings a wealth of cultural diversity and spiritual richness to our parish community here in the UK. With a heart dedicated to serving God and spreading His message of love and compassion.
After completing his studies in theology and pastoral ministry, Fr. Seelan answered the call to serve as a priest, dedicating his life to guiding and nurturing the spiritual growth of others. His warmth, humility, and deep faith have endeared him to parishioners, fostering a sense of belonging and unity within our community. Fr Seelan’s commitment to living out the Gospel values inspires us all to follow in the footsteps of Christ, showing kindness and compassion to everyone we encounter.
As our parish priest, Fr. Seelan has been a transformative leader, significantly increasing our congregation and expanding the number of masses to accommodate our growing community. His visionary approach and dedication to fostering a welcoming environment have attracted many to our parish family. Fr. Seelan continues to be a guiding light, leading us in prayer, worship, and service to others. We are blessed to have him as our spiritual shepherd, and we look forward to journeying together in faith under his compassionate leadership
Thank you to supporting priests: Fr Tony Shryane, Fr Michael Vulliamy, Deacon Jacob Cheriyan