Where is Saint Michaels Catholic Church?

Saint Michaels Catholic Church is at Moor Street Queensway, Birmingham, B4 7UG. Between New Meeting Street and Albert Street.

In brief

This was the site of New Meeting, built in 1726, and burnt down during the Priestley Riots of 1791, where Dr Joseph Priestley was the minister of the Unitarian church since 1780. The site later became a Roman Catholic church in 1862, catering for Irish and Italian immigrants. Following WW2 it was adopted by the Polish community.

Saint Michaels Catholic Church (October 2009). Photography by Elliott Brown

Saint Michaels Catholic Church - history

The New Meeting chapel was built at the site near Moor Street in 1726. By 1780, Dr Joseph Priestley became it's Unitarian minister. It was burnt down in 1791 during the Priestley Riots, a couple of years after the start of the French Revolution.

New Meeting chapel in 1792 after the Priestley Riots of 1791. Public domain

After New Meeting House became unsuitable for the congregation they started to build a new place of worship on Broad Street, although the existing building at Moor Street dates to circa 1800. It was later purchased and remodelled and consecrated as a Roman Catholic church in 1862.

Saint Michaels Catholic Church (October 2009). Photography by Elliott Brown

A large influx of Irish and Italian immigrants used to go here, for a time it was known as "the Italian church".

After the Second World War, exiled Polish ex-servicemen and their families, again with an influx in Polish congregations following Poland joining the EU in 2004, caused the congregation to grow.

Saint Michaels Catholic Church (October 2009). Photography by Elliott Brown

Before moving into Saint Michaels Catholic Church, the first Catholic mission in Birmingham was founded at Masshouse Lane in 1687 by Franciscan Fathers. This was burnt down by anti-Catholic riots in 1688. Mass was offered in various chapels until 1862.

Saint Michaels Catholic Church (February 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown

Joseph Priestley blue plaque

In 1980, the Birmingham Civic Society, along with the Royal Society of Chemistry unveiled this blue plaque about Joseph Priestley, on the site of the former New Meeting House. As well as a Minister to his Congregation (from 1780 to 1791), he was a scholar, scientist, theologian and the discoverer of oxygen.

Saint Michaels Catholic Church (October 2009). Photography by Elliott Brown

By the 2000s and 2010s, this blue plaque had gotten discoloured, so the Birmingham Civic Society removed it in 2022-23 for a full clean and repaint to restore it to it's former glory. Looks as good as new now.

Saint Michaels Catholic Church (March 2023). Photography by Elliott Brown

For more on Joseph Priestley, follow this link to our post: Joseph Priestley the discoverer of oxygen