OUR CHURCH

Following the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829 and the removal of the ‘Catholic Oath’ in 1871, Catholics regained the freedom to practise their faith and to hold public office. At this time the growth of the cotton industry made Shaw the richest place on Earth and the town’s population was swelled by the huge influx of migrant workers coming to work in the cotton mills. Many of these migrants were Irish Catholics who left their homes to escape the famine and religious persecution.

 

In 1874, a group of Catholics purchased an old mill on Oldham Road in Shaw and renovated this to fulfil the role of Catholic Church and School. Saint Joseph's Parish was created. The first Priest was Fr. F. Bollings and the parish boundaries were the railway bridges at Higginshaw, Royton and Newhey and Grains Bar.

 

By 1890, the Presbytery had been built and on 10th of May 1896 a new Parish Church and School were opened. This impressive building cost £2,919, 7 shillings and 3 pence and would be used for almost a hundred years. Later, a Parish Hall and a Sacristy were built and land was purchased to provide a playground for the school.

 

Fr. John Scanlan, came to serve the Parish in 1981 and his dedication and hard work lead to the building of a new Parish Church which was consecrated by Bishop Burke on the Feast of St Joseph on 19th of March 1984. Statues, the Stations of the Cross, the altar rails, pews and some stained glass windows were brought from the old church and blended seamlessly with the three new stained glass windows and the new altar in the new church building, so maintaining the link with those first parishioners of Saint Joseph's, Shaw.  2022 saw Fr. John celebrate his 60th year in the priesthood; an astonishing milestone. His Diamond jubilee saw Father John retiring as our Parish Priest in June and Fr. Stephen Doyle taking over the Parish Priest responsibilities alongside those at SS Aidan and Oswald's, Royton. In April 2024, Father Stephen himself retired. The Bishop appointed Father Churchill Emeghara MSSCC as Parochial Administrator and Permanent Deacon Paul Griffin to oversee both parishes until the appointment of a Parish Priest. The Bishop assigned Reverend Paul to a new parish on 18th November 2024 meaning his tenure at St Joseph's wash very short, although impactful. In the new year, 2025, Father Gavin Landers will take up his appointment as Parish Priest of both our parish and Ss Aidan and Oswald's. Father Churchill will return to his former parish in Middleton.