St Wilfrid's Church was built in 1846, to serve the increasing Catholic population of Bishop Auckland, as Irish immigrants came to provide labour for the new industries in the area. Before this, priests of the Jesuit order travelled from Durham to serve Catholics in Bishop Auckland. St Wilfrid’s was the main Catholic parish in the area for almost 100 years until two further Parishes were created in the area in the 1950s: St Mary's and St Paulinus'.

St Wilfrid’s today aims to be a welcoming Christian community for all who come in contact with the parish.