What Is The History Behind St. Charles Borromeo R.C Church In Hull, Yorkshire?

St Charles R.C Church is located in the centre of Kingston-upon-Hull and is the mother church of the city. It is a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough and is the oldest post-reformation Catholic Church in Hull.

In the mid 1790s, a priest from nearby Marton came to serve the small Catholic community in Hull. In 1779, a chapel was built in Posterngate but was destroyed in the Gordon Riots of 1780. Following the loss of this chapel, Catholics met in private until 1798 when Fr Pierre Foucher arrived in Hull, fleeing the French revolution. He paid for a Church to be built in North Street from his own funds. In 1820, Fr John Smith was appointed after Fr Foucher's return to France. Fr Smith secured a site in Jarrett Street for the Church and began the building of the present church, which was opened on 29th July 1829.

Today, the church serves as a central focus of Catholicism in Hull. It has around 500 parishioners and is used for Mass, particularly during the week, by Catholics from other parts of the city who happen to work or shop in the city centre.