st_gerards_church

Rotherham S65 4AD
Sunday Mass:   Sat 6.45pm Sun 9am, 11am
Weekdays:   as announced
Holy Days:   9am, 7pm
Confessions:   Thu & Sat after Mass Sat 6 - 6.40pm
Devotions:   Benediction 1st Sun 4pm, Rosary Daily 6.45pm
Groups:   S.V.P., Enquirers' Evenings, Drama Group

In 1910 a Mass centre opened from St Bede's Church Rotherham in the mission room, which was above a pawn shop at Park Gate, to cater for the large influx of people in the area of the Catholic faith. A lot of these newcomers were Irish, or of Irish descent, many coming from the neighbouring County of Lancashire.. The following year [1911] the Parish of St. Gerard was founded and Father Ward from Selby was appointed the first Priest of the new Parish by Bishop Cowgill. Now I suppose for the new Parish it was a case of finding anywhere large enough to hold a mass for the ever increasing Parish. So a room above the Grapes Hotel was acquired, this meant of course the menfolk could listen to the unholy perils of drinking upstairs, and then go downstairs and discover if drinking really did bring eternal damnation.

Meanwhile Land was acquired up the hill at what is now Park Nook, where a wooden hut was built where the present Church stands and this was the original Church.

In 1926 Father Ward was replaced by Father McAdam
In 1928 on November 5th St. Gerard's School was opened and the new hall took over from the hut as the Chapel. The hut was then used as a social club which became quite popular with locals of all denominations. In 1933 Father Gallon arrived at St. Gerard's and remained for only one year, as he was replaced by Father Scannell who was well renowned for his knowledge of G. K. Chesterson and also Lourdes.

Father O'Halloran was the next Priest to take over the Parish and he remained from 1937 until 1955

The Hut that had done great service to the Parish was destroyed by fire in 1947 and Mary Brisco recallsThe night that the Catholic Club burnt down next to St. Gerrard's School, and there was a constant popping sound as the pop bottles exploded. A new club was established in the old Bughut at Dalton in the late 1960's.

After the second World War preparation was made for the construction of a much needed Church and on the 4th of October 1950 St. Gerard's Roman Catholic Church was completed and opened, it was to cater for the people of Thrybergh, Dalton, Ravenfield , Hooton Roberts, Bramley and Wickersley. The priest from Thrybergh Father O Hallaran would travel to Wickersley and conduct a service there.

Father Mullane took over from Father O'Halaran in 1955 and the sight of Father John Mullane riding his moped became a popular figure throughout the area, a fine sportsman in his youth in Ireland. Sadly Father Mullane was not to live to see the consecration of the Church, he retired in 1979 to Ravenfield where he was cared for by his housekeeper of some years Lil, until his death in 1982.

With the forming of the new diocese of Hallem in 1980 the Church finally was consecrated on the feast day of St. Gerard 15th of October 1983 by Bishop Gerald Moverly
The Presbytery was a house adjoining the Doctors Surgery until the 1960's when a new Presbytery was built opposite the Church.

For those of you seeking information on ancestors buried at St. Gerard's, it is advisable to contact the present Priest as a lot of Family Graves are unmarked.

Parish Priest

Father Ward,

Father McAdam,

Father Gallon,

Father Scannell,

Father O Halloran ,

Father Rev. John Mullane,

Father Kelly,

Father Hurley,

Fr Kieran O'Connell who at present is the priest at St. Josephs Rawmarsh also.

Church Workers

Luke Flarherty was the Sexton back in the 1950's
Mary Brown Schoolteacher was the organist in the 1950's and sixties.

St. Gerard St Gerard
The Patron Saint Of Expectant Mothers
Feast Day October 16th
Born in Muro, about fifty miles south of Naples, in April, 1726; died 16 October, 1755; beatified by Leo XIII, 29 January, 1893, and canonized by Pius X, 11 December, 1904. His only ambition was to be like Jesus Christ in his sufferings and humiliations. His father, Dominic Majella, died while Gerard was a child. His pious mother, owing to poverty, was obliged to apprentice him to a tailor. His master loved him, but the foreman treated him cruelly. His reverence for the priesthood and his love of suffering led him to take service in the house of a prelate, who was very hard to please. On the latter's death Gerard returned to his trade, working first as a journeyman and then on his own account. His earnings he divided between his mother and the poor, and in offerings for the souls in purgatory. After futile attempts first to become a Franciscan and then a hermit, he entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1749. Two years later he made his profession, and to the usual vows he added one by which he bound himself to do always that which seemed to him more perfect. St. Alphonsus considered him a miracle of obedience. He not only obeyed the orders of superiors when present, but also when absent knew and obeyed their desires. Although weak in body, he did the work of three, and his great charity earned for him the title of Father of the Poor. He was a model of every virtue, and so drawn to Our Lord in the tabernacle that he had to do violence to himself to keep away. An angel in purity, he was accused of a shameful crime; but he bore the calumny with such patience that St. Alphonsus said: "Brother Gerard is a saint". He was favoured with infused knowledge of the highest order, ecstatsies, prophecy, discernment of spirits, and penetration of hearts, bilocation, and with what seemed an unlimited power over nature, sickness, and the devils. When he accompanied the Fathers on missions, or was sent out on business, he converted more souls than many missionaries. He predicted the day and hour of his death. A wonderworker during his life, he has continued to be the same since his death.
Source Catholic list of Saints

"I Saw The Light"

I was married in 1969 at St. Gerard's Church on a foggy morning, other than the wedding itself it was quite an eventful day. My future in-laws were taken up to St Leonard's Church by mistake, and the driver of the wedding car was so excited when he finally delivered them to St. Gerard's, he failed to see the gas lamp that had "shone the light " for many a year, reversed into it and demolished it. The lamp used to stand just to the right of the post on the right hand side of the photo.
John Doxey.

Sources
Catholic listing of Saints
Sheffield Diocese records
John Doxey
Elizabeth Cassidy
Peter OBrien
Margaret Brown's short history of the Church written as a fund raiser for charity.

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