| Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa | |
|---|---|
 Entrance from Meadow Street | |
  Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa Location in Preston | |
| 53°45′49″N 2°41′48″W / 53.7637°N 2.6967°W | |
| OS grid reference | SD5416929933 |
| Location | Preston, Lancashire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Catholic (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church) |
| Tradition | East Syriac Rite |
| Website | official website |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Ignatius Church |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Founder(s) | Society of Jesus |
| Dedication | Ignatius of Loyola |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 27 September 1979[1] |
| Architect(s) | Joseph John Scoles |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1833 |
| Completed | 1886 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Eparchy of Great Britain |
The Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa[2] is a Catholic cathedral of the Syro-Malabar rite[3] in Preston, Lancashire. It is the cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain,[2] and was previously St Ignatius Church under the Diocese of Lancaster. It is situated close to the Preston city centre, with the entrance on Meadow Street. The building was opened in 1836 and was the first church in Preston to have a spire.[4]
Since January 2015, the church has been used as a cathedral for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.[5] In 2016 Pope Francis[6][3] raised the status of the church to that of cathedral and appointed Monsignor Joseph (Benny Mathew) Srampickal as the first bishop.[7]
- ^ British Listed Buildings Retrieved 28 February 2013
- ^ a b "Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St. Alphonsa, Preston, Lancashire, England, (Syro-Malabar)". www.gcatholic.org. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Pope turns ex-Preston church into Indian Catholic cathedral". BBC News. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ Preston from British History Online, Retrieved 28 February 2013
- ^ Lancaster: Bishop saves historic church for Indian Catholics from Independent Catholic News, 12 January 2015, retrieved 13 January 2015
- ^ "Vatican Declares New Cathedral For Indian Catholics – Cathedral to be St Ignatius, Preston". Sunrise Radio - Official Site. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ Pope Erects Eparchy of Great Britain of Syro-Malabar with a new Bishop from Vatican Radio News retrieved 28 July 2016