[1] In 1823, Bishop John Milner, Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, sent a Fr William Foley to Northampton to establish a permanent Roman Catholic presence in the town.

Fr Foley bought a piece of land on the site of the original St Andrew's Priory, Northampton, whence Thomas Becket had gone into exile.

The origins of the current building date back to 1840 when the first Bishop of Northampton, William Wareing, commissioned Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin to design a collegiate chapel of St Felix.

This extension came in the form of the current nave which was opened in 1864, dedicated to Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury.

A new window, designed by Joseph Nuttgens (a student of Karl Parsons and who has a work installed in Windsor Castle), was put into the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the original choir stalls from the main altar were moved into the chapter room and the cathedra (or bishop's throne) was replaced with one carved by Stephen Foster; designed to accompany the triptych of the Holy Spirit behind it.

The tracker-action organ was built in 1976 by Hendrik ten Bruggencate and was inspired by the Swiss firm Metzler Orgelbau.