History of Our Churches

St Anselm’s in Whitworth

On the 10th of October 1860, William Turner, the first Bishop of Salford, appointed Fr John Milward to take care of the Catholics who were living in Whitworth. 

On Sundays some of these people used to walk the 5 miles to St John’s Church in Rochdale for Holy Mass. Later on they rented an upper room in the Hare and Hounds Hotel in Whitworth and a priest from St John’s would come to say Mass for them every Sunday.

Fr Milward saw that the room in the Hare and Hounds Hotel was now too small for the congregation. So, he rented a room over the Co-operative store in Whitworth and the two cottages alongside it, one to serve as a presbytery and the other for a school at 307 and 309, Market Street. The cottages are still standing, good solid stone houses marked R.C 1860. Fr Milward built a wooden chapel at the rear of these properties for the daily Mass. 

By 1867 Fr Milward, having a clear vision of the future, took a lease of land in John Street, Whitworth from Mr Thomas William Lloyd and decided to build from his own designs, a stone church and presbytery. He had already bought a quarry in the neighbourhood. Fr Milward used to carry the stone from the quarry by horse and cart and took his place among the workmen, all in his ardent desire to keep down the cost of the building.

The church (but not the tower) and the house for the priest were at last finished and on 10th October 1869. Bishop Turner of Salford Diocese conducted the opening ceremony. The Reverend Canon J Gadd of Salford preached.

It's Official Title being Our Immaculate Mother and St Anselm's Catholic church.

St Anselm’s Building/School

Fr Milward was succeeded by Fr Charles Walter Wood in 1874. He collected money for the parish school adjacent to the presbytery. 

In 1875 Fr Adrian Egglesmeer, came to Salford Diocese at the invitation of Bishop Vaughan. He was Rector of the mission for eighteen years. During that time Fr Egglesmeer built and equipped the school and completed the tower, placing in it three fine bells and a large chiming clock.  

There were several more priests appointed until Fr Godrick Keen started work in December 1908. Before his appointment, another plot of land adjoining the church on the north side was leased from Mr Lloyd and preparations were made to build a new school. 

The architect was Mr Oswald Hill,  and Mr John Dyer, a parishioner of St Anselm’s was chosen as a builder. Fr Godrick Keen supervised the building and borrowed £1,540 to meet the contract. 

On 14th August 1909, the new school was solemnly blessed by Bishop Casartelli. Alderman Carus of Darwen, performed the opening ceremony. Two years later Fr Michael Buckley was appointed.

The Great War of 1914-1918 saw many of the men of the parish called away to serve in the Army (one fifth of his entire congregation) and 22 of these were to die. Their names are listed on a brass memorial tablet at the back of the church. 

On promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law, Fr Michael Buckley became the first Parish Priest of the Mission and served for 18 years as St Anselm’s Parish Priest.  

Centenary and Dedication of            the Church of                     'Our Immaculate Mother                  & St Anselm' 

The Reverend Louis Tighe was appointed as Parish Priest on 7th September 1929 and was Parish Priest for twenty five years until 1954 when he was transferred to Blackburn. During his time many improvements were made:

The School was enlarged in 1936, a new hall and stage were built and a large three acres of land was bought in front of the church for playing fields. The Centenery of 'the Parishes Mission' was celebrated 11th October 1960. under Fr Joseph Houston. 

Father Francis Brown was appointed in 1967 and he served for the next 23 years as Parish Priest. During his time, on Saturday 29th April 1985, Bishop Patrick Kelley of Salford Diocese conducted the ceremony of ‘Dedication of the Church and Altar of Our Immaculate Mother and St Anselm’. 

The current St Anselm’s church building and its adjoining school have served not only as places of worship and learning but as heartbeats of the local community. The evolution of the site reflects the growing needs of the faithful, and the school's commitment to Catholic education which continues today

History of the Priests

The Rectors and Priests of ‘Our Immaculate Mother and St Anselm’s Church’, Whitworth 

1860 – 1872 Fr John Milward    

1872 – 1874 Fr Charles W Wood         

1875 – 1893 Fr Adrian Egglesmeer  

1893 – 1893 Fr John Hogan,                                        Fr Thomas Durnan,  

1893 - 1894 Fr Robert smith  

1894 – 1895 Fr John Bramer  

1995 – 1900 Fr Anthony V de Beck  

1900 – 1905 Fr Thomas Dillon

1905 – 1908 Fr James R Youlden  

1908 – 1911 Fr Godrick Keen  

          First Parish Priest 1911

1911 – 1929   Fr Michael Buckley  

1929 – 1954 Fr Louis Tighe 

1955 – 1967 Fr Joseph Houston  

1967 – 1991 Fr Francis Brown  

1991 – 1991 Fr Kevin Soars   

1991 – 2001 Fr Anthony Duffy    

2001 – 2005 Fr Peter Maloney  

2005 – 2018 Fr Frank Thorpe   

2018 –  Fr Christopher McGrane 

In 2009 the two existing parishes merged, with Fr Frank Thorpe taking on additional responsibility for  Bacup, becoming Parish Priest of: 

'The Parish of St Mary & St Anselm', Bacup and Whitworth from 2009.