About St Elisabeth's
The congregation of St. Elisabeth’s is vibrant and diverse in age, social status and ethnicity. The current incumbent has been instrumental in welcoming people of all backgrounds to find their spiritual home at St. Elisabeth’s.
St. Elisabeth’s warmly welcomes all people, regardless of genders, race, sexual orientation and marital status.
St Elisabeth’s Church is a Grade I listed building, which occupies a central place in the community. We recognise the responsibility to look after the heritage of the building, and we rejoice that it is a place that still inspires the worship and love of God. This building is not a museum, but the home of a living, thriving community whose call is to witness to our faith by loving and serving the people of Reddish and beyond.
The History of St. Elisabeth’s
St Elisabeth’s has occupied a place at the heart of the Reddish community since it was consecrated in 1883.
The church was commissioned by William Houldsworth, a devout Christian, was ahead of his time in wanting to create a community which provided for the social, educational and spiritual needs of his employees and their families. He therefore commissioned the renowned architect Alfred Waterhouse to build the Working Men’s Club, St Elisabeth’s School and the Rectory in addition to St Elisabeth’s Church.
St Elisabeth’s, named after Houldsworth’s wife, is one of the finest churches that Waterhouse built. The magnificent and exotic interior displays the talents of the finest craftsmen and artists of the time.
Visiting St. Elisabeth’s
Anyone is welcome to visit the Church building.
The Church is always open around service times
If you would like to visit St Elisabeth’s at any other time, please contact us to make an appointment so that we can ensure someone is there to meet you.
St Elisabeth’s in the media
In 1999, St Elisabeth’s was used as the set for the wedding of Ashley Peacock and Maxine Heavey in Coronation Street.
The Church was also used as the setting for the 2008 BBC TV movie adaptation of David Almond’s ‘Clay’, starring Imelda Staunton.
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Who are we?
St. Elisabeth’s aims to be an open, welcoming and non-judgmental Church where all are accepted, regardless of colour, class, sex, age or marital status. We seek to use one of Britain’s finest Victorian church buildings for worship and service to the community and to keep or church as place of beauty and prayer. We hope that by our worship and fellowship together, our lives will be transformed to be of greater service to others. We try to be a church where decisions are made openly and collaboratively by all our members; a church where all can offer their own talents to God.
We are people who seek to love God, each other and the world around us.
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