St Luke, Lightbowne

Getting here

Lightbowne, St Luke, a condensed history.

May 1899, Rev John Appleyard becomes third Rector of St Mary, Moston and soon begins holding church services in the old barn at Lightbowne.

 Opened in December 1900 a new iron building was erected near the rectory at Lightbowne to serve as a mission church for the new Lightbowne housing area. This was to become Lightbowne St Luke. The worship was simple and strictly 'Prayer Book'. Between 1900 and 1910 the congregation were all very busy working for the new church and mission, raising money for a permanent structure. The new church was to be cruciform in shape, with aisles and shallow transepts off the nave. In November 1908 the foundation stone was laid, and after some delays the building was ready for inspection in July 1910, the same month in which the Reverend Appleyard left Moston to become Rector of St John, Cheetham. With the completion of the new church it had been decided to create a new parish of Lightbowne.

The new church was consecrated on All Saints' Day 1910 by Dr. Edmund Knox, Bishop of Manchester. On Christmas Day 1910 the Reverend R Clews officiated for the first time. The chuch has progressed  through several styles of worship and is currently of the traditional Anglo-Cathlolic style.

List of Incumbents

               The Rev'd R Clews                                                      1911—1923

               The Rev'd W Gower-Jones                                         1924—1931

               The Rev'd H Hiller                                                       1931—1935

               The Rev'd J Duffill                                                       1936—1938

               The Rev'd H Petherham                                              1938—1942

               The Rev'd K G Gates                                                   1942—1951

               The Rev'd E A Weir                                                     1952—1955

               The Rev'd W A Wood                                                  1956—1961

               The Rev'd H Ogden                                                     1961—1969

               The Rev'd A Park                                                         1969—1982

               The Rev'd A Lewis                                                       1982—2004

               The Rev'd P A Stamp**                                                2004

** for practical purposes,  Fr John O'Connor was the resident priest at St Luke

    as the honorary assistant curate (non-stipendiary) until his retirement in 2016.

The organ, by Samuel Renn (1786—1845) now considered one of the greatest organ builders of that period was first installed in St John's church Deansgate, Manchester. It was then installed at St Luke's in 1926, because of the depopulation and closure of St John's parish. While still at St John's it was considerably restored by Harrison and Harrison, on installation in St Luke's it was further modified. It is a fine example of a mechanical key action, two manual, pipe organ.

Kenyon Lane
Lightbowne
Manchester
M40 9HF

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