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The
lifting of penal laws against Catholics took place over a number
of years, beginning in 1778 and culminated in the repeal of the
Test and Corporation Acts in 1828 and the granting of Emancipation
in 1829. The re-establishment of an Episcopal hierarchy in 1850
signalled the Second Spring of the Catholic Church in England, preached
by Cardinal Newman. The duty of the recently appointed Bishops was
to safeguard the faith of their flocks by providing churches for
worship.
In
many areas of England, including West Yorkshire, the growth of the
Catholic church was increased by the influx of Irish immigrants
fleeing from poverty and political unrest, attracted by the buoyant
employment prospects offered in the area at that time.
In
1841 Bishop Briggs sent Father O'Leary to Dewsbury, where in a rented
room he said the first Mass for some 300 Catholics. St Patrick's
was the 4th parish established in the local area. It was preceded
by Batley St.
Mary's,
1853 and Batley Carr St Joseph's, 1881; themselves deriving from
Dewsbury St. Paulinus, which was founded in 1841.
In
the Bishop's visitation to Batley of 1870 the records state the
the Church also owned land at Birstall on which there is a shop
and house and four cottages. Documents held at the diocesan Archive,
dated 7th December 1870, describe the land as "all that messuage
or dwelling house and shop site at Low Lane End in Birstall with
garden, yard and land.... and also 4 cottages or dwelling houses
situated in Birstall." It further stated "that this land
was to be held in trust for the premises built there to be used
as the site of the Church, Chapel or place of religious worship,
a site for a school and dwelling house and for any other purpose
which the Trustees might think fit for the benfit of the RC congregation."
The
bulk of the flock resided in Batley and Birstall, although the Parish
covered Batley, Birstall, West Ardsley, Morley, Gildersome, Gomersal
and White Lee, the greatest distance to the church being four miles.
It was stated that those who lived the greatest distance away were
generally the best attendees at Mass.
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It
was also stated in the Visitation papers of 1870 that there was
sufficient school provision for the children of Batley but not for
the children of Birstall. A priority of the church at that time
was to provide Catholic schools as voluntary schools received little
government help and the expenses of these schools had to be met
by parish collections. It is known that by the mide 1870's a day
school existed, house in premises somewhere in the Brownhill/ Brookroyd
area. However a permanent school (now demolished) was erected in
Birstall by the parish priest of Batley, Father Gordon, in 1876.
A History of Birstall records that on Whit Tuesday 1876 two brass
bands and over 1000 adults and children processed along Low Lane
for the laying of the school's foundation stone. Before the Church
was built, Mass was celebrated in this school using a cupboard used
as an altar, prepared each Sunday by Mother Mary and Sister Gertrude.
In
1881, Father Lea, the parish priest of Batley introduced to Birstall
the Sisters of Charity of St. Paul, whose head house is now in Birmingham.
The pioneer Sisters were Sister Barbara and Sister Joseph and till
1894 they had charge of St. Patrick's School, and by devoted service
helped to lay the foundations of a truly Catholic life, thereby
winning the affection of their pupils and the respect of all sections
of the community. Nuns from this order are still a part of St Patrick's
parish community. St Patrick's school is now at a new site in Nova
Lane. The existing school building was built in 1965 and has been
extended three times. To find out more about St Patrick's school
click here.
October 1905
In
1905, with numbers increasing, St Patrick's was established as a
separate parish. Father
Russell, relying on the support of a growing parish, erected the
church, designed by Mr. Simpson, of Bradford. The foundation stone
was laid by the Bishop of Olanus, Bishop Cowgill (co-adjutor to
the Bishop of Leeds, Bishop Gordon) on Saturday 2nd May 1908. Various
families donated the interior furnishings of the church - perhaps
the greatest benefactress was Miss M. A. Mortimer.
Father
Russell was the first Parish Priest of St. Patrick's (1905 until
1931). He died in 1945. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee as a priest
on 26th June 1926. We understand that the parishioners bought him
a car to mark the occasion!
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Mother
Mary, who taught in the old St. Patrick's School. She is buried
in St. Peter's Cemetery, in a plot apparently given to her by the
then vicar of St. Peter's.
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The
photograph to the right shows the interior of the old church. The
stained glass windows, at either side of the altar, are now in the
Blessed Sacrament chapel of the present church, along with the frontispiece
of the altar (pictured below).
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Statue
of Our Lady at the entrance to the old church, now the Social Club
entrance. |
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Stained
glass window showing our patron saint St Patrick. This was in the
old church and can now be seen in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. |
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The
new building provided additional space for the school in the lower
storey and the new church above. The building has been adapted and
is now used as the parish social club. This happened after the present
church was built in 1970, during Father O'Reilly's time at St Patrick's. |
A
chapel of ease was established in Birkenshaw in 1946. This new Mass
centre demanded the services of a second priest in Birstall. Bishop
Poskett sent Father O'Reilly as assistant priest, 1945-52, and on
his retirement to Huddersfield Father P. J. Creed took his place,
1952-53. Bishop Heenan appointed Father P. J. Kelly (1953), who
came from St. Clare's, Bradford. St Patrick's had two priests for
several years but falling numbers of priests has meant in recent
years, this has not been possible. The chapel at Birkenshaw has
now been closed.
A
sports field was bought in 1950 and this is used for the annual
Summer Fayre.
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The
Foundation Stone of the present church was blessed by Bishop Wheeler
on 12th, December, 1969.
The Church was officially opened by Bishop Moverley on 25th, September,
1970 in the presence of Bishop Wheeler. The preacher was Bishop
O'Herlihy of Ferns, Co Wexford.
The
Consecration of the Church took place on Monday, 19th, March, 1973
in the presence of Bishops Wheeler & Moverley. The preacher
was the Rev. James O'Higgins SJ.
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Views
of the present church, built in 1970.
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List
of Parish Priests: |
Fr.
Peter Russell (1905 - 31) RIP 1945
Fr. John O'Sullivan (1931 - 36) RIP 1972
Fr.
Barry Scannell (1936 - 40) RIP 1962
Fr. Arthur Kay (1940 - 41) RIP 1943
Fr. John Moloney (1941 - 60) RIP 1960
Fr. Patrick Shine (1960 - 68) RIP 1971
Fr. Brian O'Reilly (1968 - 77) RIP 1978
Fr. Henry Townend (1977 - 82) RIP 2003
Fr. Daniel O'Keeffe (1982 - 94) RIP 2004
Fr. Eugene McGillycuddy (1994 - 2000)
Fr. Anthony Wilson (2000 -
2012)
Fr. David Bulmer (2012 - |
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