The Story of Catholics in Cambridge and St Ives

Monsignor Anthony Rogers traces the history of Catholic communities in Cambridge and St Ives, noting their transition from small, persecuted groups to diverse modern parishes. During the medieval period, Cambridge contained sixteen parishes and thirteen university colleges, all of which were religious foundations. However, the town embraced the European Reformation so strongly that it was called Little Germany starting in the 1520s due to support for Lutheran ideas from figures like William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, and Hugh Latimer.

In the century leading up to Catholic Emancipation in 1829, local authorities generally left the small number of Catholics undisturbed. During this time, a Jesuit priest lived at Sawston Hall, and local Catholics traveled to attend Mass. While there were hopes to establish a mission starting in the 1820s, a permanent presence only began after land was acquired on Union Road. This led to the 1842 opening of St Andrew’s church, which was designed by architect Augustus Welby Pugin.

Early missions operated without defined territorial boundaries and were led by missionary rectors. These missions served anyone living within reach of the Mass. The Church did not establish parishes with specific boundaries in the area until 1918.