St Benet's Church, Sunderland

In 1861, a Fr George Dunn bought the land behind Roker Avenue for a Catholic school and chapel. The chapel was the place of worship for the local Catholic community north of the River Wear. In 1873, a Fr Jules de Floer came to area, who started the efforts to build the current church. The architects, Dunn, Hansom & Dunn, consisting of Archibald Matthias Dunn, his son Archibald Manuel Dunn, and Edward Joseph Hansom, were chosen to design the church.

On 28 July 1888, the foundation stone was laid, it was blessed by Bishop Thomas Wilkinson. The builders were from T. Lumsden of Jarrow. The stone carving inside the church was done by Richard Lockwood Boulton. Under a year later, on 14 July 1889, the church was opened, again by Bishop Wilkinson. In 1900, Bishop Wilkinson invited the Redemptorists to staff the parish. The presbytery built between the school and the church was demolished and a monastery was built in its place to house the Redemptorists. It was finished in 1902, built by George Hodgson of Sunderland and cost £4580. In 1909, a new sanctuary and side chapels were added to the church, and the high altar was moved to the new…