History

Our Parish

In September, 1954 the Priest Fr. John Vincent Burns was appointed to what was seemingly a "no-mans-land" of only 500 Catholics. A house was rented at 34 Mansell Crescent where our priest lived and said week-day Mass. A room in Edenhill House was used for Sunday Mass. Then as we began to grow, we began to move:-

1. Big Room in Edenhill House.

2. Common Room, Edenhill Road.

3. Edenhill Hall - with Yoden Road, Common Room for Holydays.

4. Junior School Hall.

5. Infants School Hall.

6. The CHURCH at last in December, 1966.

We now had a fine church which was acknowledged one of the best new Churches in the diocese. Soon there was to be a Social Club (now Peterlee Catholic Club) - the parishes very own venture - to add to the truly admirable growth of the very young parish.

The black and white image depicts the newly built church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Peterlee.

In 1954 - Parish of 500 people.

In 1969 - 800 families and growing.

Our Lady of the Rosary Schools

Until 1962 our children went to Horden, Blackhall and Shotton Primary Schools.

Each Saturday Sister M. Monica and Sister M. Enda came from St. Anthony's, Sunderland to give religious instruction.

The Junior School opened in January 1962 with an intake of 93 children. A term later on the 30th. April 1962, the Infants School opened with 136 children.

In the Infants Department numbers kept mounting and we were literally bursting at the seams until January 1966, when the two new classrooms were ready.

The school in 1969 was taking in 60 to 70 children a year.

Our Junior School in 1969 housed 250 children and needed more space. An extension of two more classrooms was given Ministry approval and the classrooms added.

The black and white image depicts Our Lady of the Rosary Junior School when newly built

St Bede's Comprehensive School

In 1969 St Bede's Comprehensive School, which is shared with neighbouring parishes offered a full education in a variety of subjects up to: Northern Counties Technical Examination: Certficate of Secondary Education: General Certificate of Education, Ordinary and Advanced Levels.

It housed 620 pupils and 31 staff, and had been planned in three stages, of which the first stage cost around 350,000 pounds. Our Lady of the Rosary Parish share of this was 18,000 pounds.

When the second and third stages were added it was expected that the school would house 1,800 pupils with appropriate staff.

The Engineering, Science, Housecraft and other departments were equipped with the most modern equipment available for that period.

St. Bede's RC Comprehensive School was the FIRST "purpose-built" Comprehensive School in our Diocese.

The black and white image depicts a classroom scene from the newly built St. Bede's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School, Peterlee.