St Francis church was built circa 1934 to provide for the catholic community of the expanding areas of the west of Linthorpe, Acklam and Whinney Banks, The parish area originally covered the whole of Acklam, through Brookfield and up to Hemlington. St Clare's and the "new" Cathedral stand in that part of the original parish area which for most of the 30's, 40's and 50's was mainly arable area. With the residential development of Acklam (South) and Brookfield, in 1967 St. Clare's church was built and established as a separate parish to ease the tremendous congregation pressure that was being felt at St. Francis.
The current Parish of
St. Francis of Assisi, Acklam, Middlesbrough.
However, in 2013 the reduced congregation at both St. Francis' and St. Clare's, together with a diocesan clergy reducing manpower, made for further major change.
In August of that year, at the time of St. Francis' parish priest reaching retirement age, the parish of St. Francis and that of St. Clare's were brought together under the care of a single parish priest.
Formally the extended parish is called St. Francis Parish, with St Clare's church being a 'chapel of ease'. But, reality of the local situation is that it is referred to as "St. Francis' & St. Clare's".
St Francis of Assisi, Acklam is, of course, a member of the diocese of Middlesbrough : The Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough consists of the boroughs of Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees (south of the river), the cities of Kingston upon Hull and York, East Yorkshire and most of North Yorkshire.
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