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| Captain John Hubert Washington Hibbert, a Protestant, who lived at Bilton Grange bought the land on which this church is built. He then commissioned Pugin to build a Catholic Church. Captain Hibbert married a Catholic, Lady Julia Talbot. She had connections to the Earl of Shrewsbury at Alton Towers. Hibbert became a Catholic later on. |
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| There were no Catholic churches in Rugby and the faithful were forced to travel some distance to celebrate mass. Pugin's little church seated twenty, and is very cosy, at the time it would have been lit by candlelight. Originally it had a rood screen. The black and white tiles on the left are the Hibbert crest and the blue and cream are the crest of his wife Julia Tichborne. These tiles are also at Bilton Grange. | 
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| Captain Hibbert's generosity was legendery for he also bought land to build a college and a Novitiate. Pugin was asked to design buildings for these. However he submitted plans that were considered too elaborate by the priest, and Pugin who was nearing the end of his life and was perhaps unwell lost interest. The Novitiate was built by either Myers or C.F. Hanson. Edward built the Presbertery in 1865. | 
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