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 18th 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