BISHOP TOM WILLIAMS TO OFFICIALLY OPEN
ST ANTHONY'S VISITOR CENTRE IN JANUARY 2004

Bishop Tom Williams is to officially open St Anthony's Visitor Centre on the17th January 2004 which is the Feast Day of St Anthony of Egypt (Patron Saint of Church & Parish). Almost £250,000 has been spent on developing the Crypt of St Anthony's church on Scotland Road into a study centre. St Anthony's was established in 1804 and by linking parish records with modern computer database technology the study centre will offer an extraordinary insight into the history, heritage and culture of the church and Scotland Road. It will show how St Anthony's church and the Scotland Road area played a very important role in the growth and development of the port and city of Liverpool.

It has been estimated that up to 50% of Liverpool people have an Irish background and the study centre at St Anthony's church will be very valuable to people who are interested in the Irish history of Scotland Road. In 1847, almost 120,000 famine refugees arrived from Ireland and tragically many were to die from a variety of illness and disease. They are buried in sites across Liverpool including 2,303 men, women and children in the grounds and crypt of St Anthony's church. For further information regarding burials at St Anthony's Click Here. The study centre at St Anthony's church will try to have records of other local churches.

By linking these records it will be possible to tell the story of families through their birth, marriages and deaths. From these records, it is possible to trace the picture of a family by their jobs, war service and addresses etc. Hundreds of thousands of people passed through the parish of St Anthony's, once known as the 'Mother of Liverpool Churches'.

Bishop Tom Williams is sure that sons, daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren of St Anthony's parishioners from all over the world will be interested in the visitor centre and study centre. Bishop Tom is keen for people to get the maximum benefit from the visitor centre and study centre. He hopes to have a comprehensive collection of photographs displayed and the Scottie Press is endeavouring to help with photos from the newspaper's archive collection.

We would like to hear from readers who may have photographs that they would like to see featured in the display within the St Anthony's visitor centre and on this webpage. We also welcome hearing from readers who may have memories of St Anthony's that they would like to have featured on this webpage.

St Anthony's church will celebrate it's bi-centenary in 2004, having been established in 1804 on the junction of Dryden Street and Scotland Road. In 1833 the present Gothic structure was completed. The year 2004 will be celebrated in Liverpool as a year of Faith in One City and the bi-centenary of St Anthony's church and the opening of the visitor centre will be very important features of events being organised.

The Scottie Press has also begun a project which will hopefully enhance the promotion of the churches local to the Scotland Road and Vauxhall area and will be a part of events being organised for Faith in One City 2004.