Religion

This section examines the religious history of the parish. The earliest known record dates to the first half of the ninth century, when the cross that now stands in the churchyard was erected. Many years later, following the Norman Conquest, the Domesday Book of 1086 records the presence of a church and a priest.

Until 1534, the church owed allegiance to Rome, but this changed when Henry VIII declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. Despite periods of upheaval, Anglicanism remained the dominant faith in Stapleford. St. Helen’s, the mother church, stands at the centre of the parish, while the smaller, more recent St. Luke’s serves the northern end. Roman Catholic worship was re-established in 1933 with the creation of a Mass Centre.

Nonconformity arrived in 1773 with the Methodists, followed in due course by the Baptists, Salvation Army, Plymouth Brethren, and Pentecostal churches.

The 2011 Census recorded that 54% of respondents identified as Christian, 8% as followers of other religions, and 37% as having no religion. Notably, 34 individuals listed their faith as Jedi Knight.

A detailed history of St. Helen’s and St. Luke’s is not provided here, as both have been extensively documented by the Southwell and Nottingham Diocese Church History Project (see [link] and [link]). However, certain aspects of parish life not covered by the project will be included.

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