Our church of St Teresa’s was originally constructed in 1853–54 as a Primitive Methodist chapel. Later it became a Salvation Army citadel, and by 1927 it was being used as a laundry.

There had been no Catholic church in Charlbury since the reformation, but during the nineteenth century and into the first half of the twentieth century, there was a Catholic mission at Radford, near Enstone, served by Jesuit priests.,This mission grew out of the long-standing local recusant tradition associated with the Browne family of Kiddington Hall, who had long supported Catholic priests in the area. In the mid-nineteenth century, as Catholic emancipation allowed more open worship, the Browne family helped fund the construction of a new chapel at nearby Radford, along with a convent and school. The project was overseen by the Rev. Patrick Heffernan, a significant figure in the development of Catholic churches in the region, and the design was provided A. W. Pugin.

Throughout the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Radford served as the main centre of Catholic life for the surrounding rural communities, including Charlbury. The priest resided at Radford, and nearby chapels were administered from there. In 1931, the Catholic church brought thst became St.Teresa’s, and placed the new Charlbury church under the parish of Radford.

The church at Radford was remote, and in 1969 the decision was made to close the church at Radford and move the Parish centre to Charlbury. In 1970, St Teresa’s was formally established as the parish church with Fr Bulbeck as the first parish priest.

Since then, we have been blessed with five more parish priests, Monsignor Morgan, Canon Evans, Fr Aldo, Fr Tony and now Fr Clive.

In the year 2000, the church was extended, and an apsidal sanctuary designed by S. B. Harris was added. The church was dedicated by the then Archbishop of Birmingham, Archbishop Vincent Nicholls, on the eve of St Teresa’s Day (30^th September) 2007.

In 2026 St Teresa’s Parish formally joined with the parish of Holy Trinity, Chipping Norton, to become the new Parish of the Assumption.

Fr Aldo, Fr Clive, Monsignor and Fr Tony in 2025