Stretford - Religion

Religion

See also: List of churches in Greater Manchester

Stretford Compared
2001 UK Census	Stretford	Trafford	England
Total population	37,455	210,145	49,138,831
Christian	64.7%	75.8%	71.7%
Muslim	12.4%	3.3%	3.1%
Sikh	2.1%	0.5%	0.7%
Hindu	0.7%	0.6%	1.1%
Buddhist	0.3%	0.2%	0.3%
Jewish	0.2%	1.1%	0.5%
No religion	12.1%	12.0%	14.6%

The date of the first church to be built in Stretford is unrecorded, but in a lease dated 1413, land is described as lying next to a chapel. Many of the present day churches in the area were constructed during the late 19th and early 20th century, as the population of Stretford began to grow.

Methodism was a significant influence in 19th-century Stretford, but of the 17 churches in the town today, only one is Methodist whereas five are Roman Catholic. The Catholic mission in Stretford was begun in 1859, in a small chapel on Herbert Street.

As at the 2001 UK census, 65% of Stretford residents reported themselves as being Christian, 12% as Muslim, and 2% as Sikh. No other religion was represented at higher than 1% of the population, with 12% reporting themselves as having no religion.

Stretford is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford, and the Anglican Diocese of Manchester.

There are two Grade II listed churches in Stretford: the Church of St Ann and the Church of St Matthew. St Ann's is a Roman Catholic church, built in 1862–7 by E. W. Pugin for Sir Humphrey and Lady Annette de Trafford. It was officially opened by Bishop William Turner on 22 November 1863, and was consecrated in June 1867. Features include a historic organ built by Jardine & Co (1867) and a good number of fine stained glass windows by Hardman & Co of Birmingham. St Matthew's church was built in 1842 by W. Hayley in the Gothic Revival style, with additional phases in 1869, 1906 and 1922.