The church came about because Captain Washington Hibbert of
Bilton Grange, married Julia Tichborne, a Catholic woman in 1839. As there was no provision for Catholics in Rugby, Hibbert bought a plot of land off Dunchurch Road and commissioned
Augustus Pugin to design a church. It was first opened in 1847, designed in the
Gothic revival style. It was enlarged in 1864 by Pugin's son
Edward Welby Pugin, and in 1872 the current tall and slender spire was added, designed by Bernard Whelan, which is nearly 200 feet (61 metres) tall. The church has been
Grade II* listed since 1949. ==Today==