Church cost £25,000 to build

St Anne’s celebrates 75 years

AN Oldham church that owes its roots to Irish immigration is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its building.

St Anne’s RC Church in Cook Street, Clarksfield, will hold a celebration mass on July 14.

But the parish dates to Victorian times, and was established in 1878.

Worshipper Gerard Owen, who also writes the church newsletter, said: “It was established in July, 1878, at a time when there were a lot of Irish immigrants, and members first met in a flat over a pub or lodging house in Marsh Street off Lees Road.

“After two or three years they got money together to buy land off Balfour Street, and built a small church, then came a school, and in 1902 the church was extended to include a bigger school and presbytery.

“When the new church was built in 1935 it cost £25,000, a large sum then. We have just had new heating installed which cost £22,000, which shows how times have changed!”

The church school has now moved to Greenacres Road. Mr Owen said that when St Anne’s parish was first established it covered a vast area: “It extended from Strinesdale to Derker and over to Abbeyhills, almost to Lees.

“Another offshoot church, St Michael’s was built at Abbeyhills. The parish population in those days was 4,000, now it is 700.”

The celebration mass will be taken by the parish priest, the Rev Derek Woodhead, who is also the RC chaplain to the Royal Oldham Hospital.

It starts at 7.30pm and there will be a reception in the parish room afterwards.

Past and present parishioners are welcome.

AN Oldham church which owes its roots to large-scale Irish immigration into the town is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its building.

St Anne’s RC Church in Cook Street, Clarksfield, will hold a celebration mass on July 14.

But the parish dates to Victorian times, and was established in 1878.

Worshipper Gerard Owen, who also writes the church newsletter, said: “It was established in July, 1878, at a time when there were a lot of Irish immigrants, and members first met in a flat over a pub or lodging house in Marsh Street off Lees Road.

“After two or three years they got money together to buy land off Balfour Street, and built a small church, then came a school, and in 1902 the church was extended to include a bigger school and presbytery.

“When the new church was built in 1935 it cost £25,000, a large sum then. We have just had new heating installed which cost £22,000, which shows how times have changed!”

The church school has now moved to Greenacres Road. Mr Owen said that when St Anne’s parish was first established it covered a vast area: “It extended from Strinesdale to Derker and over to Abbeyhills, almost to Lees.

“Another offshoot church, St Michael’s was built at Abbeyhills. The parish population in those days was 4,000, now it is 700.”

The celebration mass will be taken by the parish priest, the Rev Derek Woodhead, who is also the RC chaplain to the Royal Oldham Hospital.

It starts at 7.30pm and there will be a reception in the parish room afterwards.

Past and present parishioners are welcome.