History of St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Queensbury

On the first Sunday in Lent 1923, Fr Bradley, Parish Priest at St Bernard’s in Halifax, celebrated Mass in Queensbury Cooperative Hall with one hundred people. Prior to this the people at “the top of the hill” in Queensbury had walked, in all weathers, down to St Bernard’s to hear Mass.

Fr Maloney from St Bede’s, Bradford then agreed to say Mass regularly on Sunday mornings. The congregation grew and began raising money to build a Church of its own.

St Theresa of Lisieux, (also known as St Theresa of the Child Jesus), was opened on November 18^th 1931 and served about 237 Catholics.

The cost of the Church was £4200. The parishioners raised two thirds and the Bishop’s new mission fund paid one third. Queensbury became a separate parish in 1932.

In 1948 the first resident priest, Fr. O’Halloran, moved into the presbytery at the bottom of Russell Road.

In 2016, St Bernard’s and St Theresa’s parishes were paired and the resident priest at St Bernard’s, Fr. Robert Owens, serves both parishes.

 

Priests serving at St Theresa’s

1948 – 1952                                           Rev Fr Patrick O’ Halloran

1952- 1968                                              Rev Fr John Riordan

1968- 1974                                              Rev Vincent Durkin

1974- 1979                                              Rev Fr Lawrence Lister

1979- 1983                                              Rev Fr Canice McGinn

1983- 1984                                              Rev John Patrick Ruttledge

1984- 1987                                              Rev Barrie Holmes

1987- 1991                                              Rev Fr Patrick Henry

1991 – 1993                                            Monsignor Bernard Gilmore

1994 – 2016                                            Rev Fr Michael Nealon

2016 – date                                             Rev Fr Bob Owens