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The Church of St. Bartholomew was built by Bartholomew Bretherton who saw the need for a Catholic Chgurch in the village of Rainhill. Prior to its existence, the nearest Church for Catholics was Our Lady's Portico or St. Bede's, Widnes.and so there was an obvious need for one closer to the village.
The Bretherton family owned coaching firms which operated from Liverpool. Rainhill (The Ship Inn) was the first stop at which the horse teams were changed. It was an obvious place for him to set up residence and he lived in Rainhill Hall, which is now occupied by the Jesuit Conference Centre of Loyola Hall.
In 1841 the population of Rainhill was approximately 750. Bartholomew Bretherton bought 240 acres of land in the area and became owners of much of the district, including the Manor Farm, which still exists as a public house on Mill Lane.
Having decided to build a Catholic Church, Bartholomew settled on an extremely well chosen spot being 'in direct line of sight' on the main road from Rainhill Village. At least 2 designs were sent to him for approval. One of them was in Gothic Style but the winning design was submitted by a Mr. Joshua Dawson from an idea by Mr. Carter of Preston.
Bartholomew wanted the new church to be dedicated to his own patron saint. He dispatched Mr. Dawson to Rome to study the design of the ancient Church of Santo Bartolomeo all'Isola. (St. Bartholomew on the Island).
In 1833 building commenced. Red freestone blocks were hewn from the family's own local quarry and the foundation stone was laid by Bartholomew's only daughter, Mrs Mary Gerard, in April of that year.
The building was completed two years later. It is ninety feet in length and forty five feet in width, in the form of an Ionic temple. The total cost was £8,000 and it was formally opened and consecrated on Tuesday 24th. August by the Rt.Rev.Dr. George Brown, Vicar Apostolic.