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The Dome of Home

The parish of Ss Peter & Paul was established in 1879 by Fr William Stanton who rented a room in Egerton Street. In 1881, a Gothic style church was built on the Hope Street.

After Fr Mullins became Rector in 1909, he realised that the little church on Hope Street was not large enough. This was partly a consequence of the aftermath of the First World War, as people turned to God in their trouble, but also because New Brighton had expanded as a Victorian seaside resort with its pier, ferry terminal, Tower, Ballroom and outdoor bathing pool. It was the beginning of his priestly dream.

Fr Mullins, an autocratic man, purchased the land on St Georges Mount in a prominent position, for £3000. Tirelessly, he campaigned to raise the necessary £58,000 to build the new church and pledged that it would be “built free of debt”. When his parishioners secretly raised the huge sum of £2,000 in thanksgiving for his Golden Jubilee, he promptly put it into the building fund. Nothing that would bring in revenue was too much trouble. This dedicated effort ensured the church was paid for in full before it was opened. A massive achievement!

 Our determined priest appointed E. Bower Norris as architect and directed him to design a cathedral-type church seating 650 people. Its dominant profile on the Wirral skyline can be seen from the Mersey Approach as well as ‘over the water’ from Liverpool. It’s design, complete with grand Dome spanning 86 feet, is based on churches Fr Mullins had visited in Portugal and Spain during his training for the priesthood. The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Ambrose Moriarty Coadjutor Bishop of Shrewsbury, on the site of ‘Sandrock’, on 30^th July 1932 and the first Mass celebrated in August 1935.

Mysteriously, Fr Mullins surprised his parishioners by adding the name of St Philomena, with whom he had a great devotion, to the title of the church. It is said that about this time he acquired a magnificent set of vestments in honour of St Philomena, from a merchant who was indebted to St Philomena’s intercession for safe passage during a violent storm.

The name St Philomena disappeared from the title of the church as quietly as it had first appeared, soon after Fr Mullins died.

Nevertheless, history repeats itself in more ways than one. Trusting Divine Providence, Bishop Mark Davies was inspired to reinstate St Philomena as one of the church’s patrons, when he established the Shrine of Ss. Peter, Paul & Philomena on March 24^th 2012.