Church

Visit our parish website by clicking here.

Mass Times (in normal times)

Saturday: 10am

Sunday: 11:00am.  A children's liturgy group takes place during Sunday's mass where children can learn about the liturgy of the word at their level.

Tuesday - Friday: 10:00am

Location

Our parish church is located at the same site as our school - Oldham Road, Shaw, OLDHAM OL2 8SZ

Hope in the Future

Do you have skills?  Can you help our parish?  Can you spare a few minutes now and again?  You are our Hope in the Future.  Notices for this group will be issued in the parish newsletter.  

Sacramental Journey For Year 3 Children

Our Year 3 children normally take the first steps on their way to becoming full church members in our sacramental meetings. Each meeting takes place in the Parish Centre at 7:00pm on the allocated Thursdays.  Please keep them in your prayers. 

A Brief History of Our Parish

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 poulation 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 in 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.  2015 saw Fr. John celebrate his 50th year in the priesthood; an astonishing milestone. 

After serving Saint Joseph's for 41 years, Father John retired in June 2022. The parish church was packed with standing room only as we celebrated the time Father John has spent with our parish and the many positive changes he oversaw during his time as parish priest. 

Father Stephen Doyle is our current Parish Priest and looks after our parish and the parish of Ss Aidan and Oswald's in Royton.