St. Chad's Church is the Church of England parish church of Rochdale. It forms part of the Diocese of Manchester and is an active place of worship and community hub for the town and outlying suburbs around the town. It is a grade II* listed building and sits at a high elevation above both Rochdale Town Hall and the town centre.

St Chad's was the mother church of the ancient parish of Rochdale and was founded before 1170, possibly on an Anglo-Saxon site. Much of the current building is the result of late Victorian restoration. A local legend relates that the site was chosen by spirits and fairies as on several occasions stone for the church building was moved from near the river to the hill on which St. Chad's stands. The church is accessed from the town below by a flight of 124 steps. The town stocks, dated 1868, are in the churchyard which also contains the grave of Lancashire dialect poet Tim Bobbin (John Collier of Milnrow). The church has notable stained glass, the best known being the Burne-Jones window in the tower, depicting Faith, Hope and Charity, with glass by William Morris. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Chad%27s_Church,_Rochdale, and www.visitrochdale.com/things-to-do/rochdale-parish-church....

Photo taken on 10/01/2024. © Peter Steel 2024.

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St Mary of Furness is a Roman Catholic church. The congregation was founded in 1858 and current building constructed between 1866 and 1867. It was built with £6,000 donated by Spencer Cavendish the 8th Duke of Devonshire.

Our Lady Of Furness, of the Lancaster Diocese, consists of another three churches at this present time; They are Sacred Heart Chuch, Holy Family Church, both in Barrow, and St. Columba's Church, Walney Island. Former churches include St. Pius X ,and St. Patrick's, both since closed however the former's school is still in operation.

© Peter Steel 2023.

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Roman Catholic Church of St. Pius X and Saint Roch. A 20th. century church attached to a former convent which is now a college.

Photo taken on 23/11/2023. © Peter Steel 2023.

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Parish Church in Santa Cruz of (the) Castle(Holy Church of St. George's Castle). One of the most historically significant churches in Lisbon, the Holy Cross Church of São Jorge Castle.

Having been closed for more than thirty years, the temple hid many secrets, like, for instance, the statue of Saint George, which has been carried atop a white horse since 1570 on the capital’s oldest procession. www.visitlisboa.com/en/places/torre-da-igreja-do-castelo-....

Photo taken on 21/11/2023. © Peter Steel 2023.

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There has been a church dedicated to St. James on this spot, just below the castle walls, since the 1100s, but the original building collapsed in the earthquake of 1755. It was where explorer Christopher Columbus married his Portuguese wife Filipa Perestrelo in 1479, and was the starting point of the Portuguese Way of St. James, attracting numerous pilgrims every year.

Today, the rebuilt church is almost always closed, only opening twice a week for Mass. If you find it open, it’s worth taking a look inside, as its plain façade with a single bell tower hides a treasure of gilded art. That’s a remarkable gold-covered altarpiece dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, created before the earthquake and seen to the right as you enter. www.lisbonportugaltourism.com/guide/igreja-de-santiago.html.

Photo taken on 21/11/2023. © Peter Steel 2023.

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