St Joseph welcomed representatives of St Chad’s Cathedral and the Archdiocese of Birmingham to a blessing of its Snow Hill Wharf development.

The ceremony, which was held on Friday 8 March, was to mark the final installation of sheet piling at the site before construction commences.

Sister Margaret Walsh IJ read Psalm 127 “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labour”. Monsignor Timothy Menezes then carried out the ceremony, blessing those connected in the development’s construction, with a host of St Joseph staff in attendance.

When completed, Snow Hill Wharf is expected to create a new community of more than 700 people.

Monsignor Timothy Menezes, Vicar General and Acting Cathedral Dean at St Chad's Cathedral, said:

“As a parish community, we are linked closely to the business district – an area that historically has not been residential. Through its Snow Hill Wharf development, St Joseph is contributing towards the transformation of the city centre into a place where people can live and grow together.

“Every day, St Chads welcomes new visitors. It was a privilege to be part of this blessing and we look forward to greeting our neighbours at Snow Hill Wharf in the years to come.”

Snow Hill Wharf was announced in 2018. The canal side scheme will feature a mix of one, two and three bedroom homes. In keeping with Berkeley Group’s philosophy of incorporating communal space into development design, Snow Hill Wharf will also include three landscaped podium gardens overlooking the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

Jamie Cooper, Project Director at St Joseph, said:

“St Joseph is committed to Birmingham and its diverse communities. St Chad’s Cathedral is an important partner and we thank Monsignor Timothy Menezes for blessing the development.

“Our vision for Snow Hill Wharf is to regenerate an underutilised part of land to create a landmark scheme that delivers quality new homes. We are proud to be playing a role in attracting more people to this great city that has been so welcoming of our business and staff since we arrived.”

Snow Hill Wharf is closely located to St Chad’s Cathedral, which was built in 1841 and is renowned for being the first Catholic cathedral to be built in the UK since the Reformation.

St Chad’s Cathedral is currently fundraising to support the restoration of its organ. To support the project please visit here.