Parish Church of St. Joseph's  
Blaydon-on-Tyne  

Foundation Stone 1903

New Catholic Church for Blaydon
Foundation Stone Laying

At Blaydon yesterday the foundation stone was laid of a new Catholic church and presbytery. Great interest and enthusiasm attached to the event. A prominent site at the bottom of Mary Street and abutting Shibdon Road, the main thoroughfare has been secured. The scheme will involve an expenditure of about £8,500. Mr Charles Walker, architect, of Eldon Square, Newcastle, has designed a commanding church and presbytery which when erected will be a credit to the Catholic community thereabouts and an ornament to the town. The church is to be of stone and built in the gothic style of architecture affording accommodation for 800 worshippers. The structure is to be 136 ft. long and 54 ft. 8 in. wide and comprises main chancel, two side chapels and organ loft. The presbytery will be a tree story building.
  It is about six years since St. Joseph’s was made a separate parish from the old Stella parish. On Sunday 31st July 1898 the old school was opened fir divine service and the Rev. James Corboy--the present pastor--was appointed to the new mission of St. Joseph’s, Blaydon. Since this time there has been a substantial increase in the adherents to the Catholic Church, the present membership numbering about 1,700. In his ministrations the Rev. James Corboy has the assistance of Fr. O’Keefe as curate, and they are both beloved by their flock.
  St. Joseph’s Society is indebted to the late Mrs Leadbitter of Ryton whose munificence has enabled the carrying out the present undertaking. The deceased lady bequeathed £6,000 toward the building of a church and maintaining a priest at Blaydon. A considerable amount of the interest accruing from the above was spent in purchasing the site and building a new school. With the balance and the capital resulting from the school Fr. Corboy has been enabled to embark upon the present project the contractor for which is Mr. Frank Hepple, Dunn Street, Newcastle.
  Previous to the foundation stone laying ceremony a procession was formed at the school and headed by the Stella Military Brass Band marched to the site. The procession consisted of the school children, members of the choir, St. Joseph’s Guild, St. Joseph’s league of the Cross, and the congregation. Hundreds of the townspeople turned out to witness the proceedings the vicinity being decorated by Mr. William Plender.
  The clergy present included the Rev. Dr. Preston, Bishop of Phocea; Dr. Toner, Hebburn; Dean Smith, Sunderland; Canon Stark, Bell’s Close; Fr. Laws O.P., St. Dominic’s, Newcastle; Fr. P. Conway, O.P. St. Michael’s, Newcastle; Fr. Scannell, O.S.B., Birtley; Fr. Savory, Willington Quay; Fr. Buckley, Carlisle;  Fr. Kay, Gateshead; Fr. Goundry, South Shields; Fr. Beech, Waterhouses; Fr. Witty, Sunderland; Fr. Krajicek, South Shields; Fr. Habell, South Shields; Fr. Parker, Benwell; Fr. Sheenan, Cornforth; Fr. C. Hayes, Newcastle; Fr. Costello, Sacriston; Fr. Rickaby, Westwood; Fr. Thorman, Branden; Fr. Bradley, Tyne Dock; Fr. Ryan, Hebburn; Fr. O’Hagen, Walker; Fr. Tourloulat, Fr. McKeirnan, Newcastle; Fr. Kennedy, Wallsend; Fr. Magarrety, Ryhope; Fr. Kelley, Carlisle; Fr. Dix, Tow Law; Fr. O’Donnaghue, Fr. Simmons, Prudhoe; Fr. Reilly, Gosforth; Fr. Moore, Sunderland; Fr. Howell, Monkwearmouth; Fr. Holmes, Crawcrook; Fr. Hennessey, Newcastle; Fr. J. Corboy, rector of Blaydon, and Fr. O’Keefe curate, Blaydon.
  The usual ceremonial proceedings incidental to the laying of a foundation stone having been observed according to the Roman Pontifical the Rev. Dr. Preston proceeded to lay the chief stone. Dr. Preston in the course of an interesting address said that only  twelve years ago the whole of the district formed a portion of the ancient Catholic mission at Stella. Twelve years ago two priests at Stella attended to the needs of the Catholics of the district which was now divided into three missions-- the missions of Stella, Crawcrook, and Blaydon.
  And yet it was more than twenty five years since God put it into the heart of a pious, generous Catholic widow lady by the name Blanche Leadbitter, to bequeath a handsome sum of money to the Bishop of that diocese for the purpose that it might be reserved and that its accumulations might in time serve to build a church at Blaydon, to the honour of God and dedicated to the great St. Joseph the foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As many as thirty years or more ago a school was built for the Catholic children of the district, that school is now the Catholic chapel. Eight or nine years ago the existing school was erected from the designs by Mr. Walker for the Catholic children of Blaydon. It was one of the most magnificent schools of the Diocese. It was hoped that the Church would be completed in about eighteen months time and if possible be free from debt. In order that this be the case there was a need for further generosity.
  During the past five years theirs had been a separate mission. Fr. Corboy had been in charge of that parish and during the first three years he was there he worked with such energy and zeal that the work multiplied in his hands to such an extent that it was necessary he should be joined a fellow priest. And now there were two priests working vigorously and earnestly at Blaydon. Bishop Preston prayed with all his heart that the zeal, prudence and self-sacrifice which had existed and blessed the beginning of the mission would continue throughout its history.
  After the ceremony a tea was held in the Co-operative Hall followed by a concert in the evening at which the programme was contributed by Madame Heenan’s party from Newcastle. A sum of over £120 was taken at the ceremony.