in the 1830s augustus welby pugin was commissioned by the roman catholic bishop, thomas walsh, to design a suitable church to house the remains of st chad, which had been rescued from destruction at lichfield cathedral during the reformation. when the building was consecrated in 1841 as saint chad's cathedral, it was the first roman catholic cathedral to be built in england since the reformation. for the recently converted catholic, pugin, this was a commission of great importance.