The Church and Friary of St Francis ..... known locally as Gorton Monastery - was designed by Edward Welby Pugin (1834-1875) - it was built for and by the Priests and Brothers of the Franciscan Order who came to Manchester, to establish a friary and provide religious care for the surrounding community.
When the first Franciscan Friars arrived in Gorton in 1861 - it was a struggling village set among fields with only a small Catholic population of 300 - in April 1862, the Brothers pioneered the building of St Francis - the foundation stone for the church was laid in 1866 and it was completed in 1872 ...... it was built partly from the inheritance of funds from the former Franciscan province, and partly from subscribers to the Memorial Register, the first page of which reads - "To the memory of the unknown poor of Manchester and neighbourhood, who have contributed so largely by their weekly pence to raise this noble temple to the greater glory of God."
From that time onward - Gorton Monastery became known as an important example of Gothic revival architecture.
For over a century - the church played a central role in the life of Gorton ........ the Brothers were welcomed into the community and worked tirelessly dedicating their time to the poor, sick and needy - with schools, clubs, church and community activities including the soup kitchens that were needed during the ravages of the cotton famine. At that time,West Gorton was an area of tremendous deprivation - there was overcrowding, squalor, poor sanitation and poverty, and the Brothers still prayed and worked with them. People were baptised there - became altar boys there - were educated and married there .... all at St Francis.
During the First World War .... when Gorton's finest young men went to war - the Priests went too !
Sadly, the years after the Second World War brought change - much of it for the worse - by 1985 the Brothers could no longer afford to keep the friary open - and they departed and St Francis closed for worship in 1989.
It was de-consecrated and the buildings were sold to property developers for conversion into flats - but that plan failed - now without an owner - the monastery fell victim to vandalism and decay - it was stripped bare by vandals - virtually every one of its stained glass windows was shattered and the roof was exposed to the elements, while the interior was damaged by fire damaging most of the interior of the church, including many important artefacts and fittings - boarded up and neglected .... the deterioration and the loss of this wonderfully special place was devastating - Gorton families far and wide mourned the state of the extraordinary church of their childhood - everything of beauty and sentimental value was lost - including the WW1 Honour Roll.
But then a miracle happened - this beautiful old Gothic church - one of the finest in the world - became the the center of a dramatic restoration - things that belonged there were returned - everything except the Honour Roll - lost in the mists of time.
This re-compiled, Honour Roll is a gift to the memory of the brave men of Gorton, who gave their lives for our freedom.
May They Never Be Forgotten !