ington ▁( wh ilst ▁still ▁remaining ▁techn ically ▁separate ). ▁Working ▁alongside ▁the ▁dioc es an ▁cler gy ▁are ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Sister s ▁of ▁Prov idence ▁of ▁Saint ▁Mary - of - the - W ood s . ▁ ▁Br ief ▁history ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁originally ▁opened ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 8 3 . ▁Cast ing ▁a ▁tent ative ▁shadow ▁over ▁R ye ▁Pie ce , ▁( a ▁little ▁side - street ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁town ), ▁ ▁it ▁was ▁built ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁C athol ics ▁were , ▁unfortunately , ▁still ▁viewed ▁with ▁susp icion . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁mod est , ▁ob long ▁structure ▁built ▁in ▁traditional ▁Victor ian ▁red br ick ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁school room ▁running ▁along ▁the ▁west ▁side . ▁ ▁The ▁money ▁to ▁build ▁it ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁the ▁priest , ▁Fr ▁P ius , ▁not ▁entirely ▁from ▁his ▁sparse ▁con greg ation ▁but ▁by ▁simply ▁begg ing ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁country . ▁Fund s ▁for ▁further ▁development ▁were ▁supp lement ed ▁by ▁two ▁long - running ▁nov enas ▁dedicated ▁to ▁St ▁Peter ▁of ▁Alc ant ara ▁and ▁St ▁Francis ▁X avier . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁a ▁school ▁was ▁built ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁church . ▁Origin ally ▁big ▁enough ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁some ▁ 1 5 0 ▁pup ils ▁aged ▁from ▁ 4 ▁to ▁ 1 4 ▁years , ▁▁ ▁eventually ▁it ▁was ▁su pers eded ▁by ▁a ▁new ▁school . ▁It ▁is ▁now ▁a ▁nur ser y