History of the Parish

 The parish of St John Henry Newman is a Catholic parish formed in 2019 in the Diocese of Salford and its parishioners come predominantly from Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme. It comprises the former parishes of English Martyrs, Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Monica’s and has two churches, English Martyrs (Mother Church) and St. Monica’s. The Parish also has three primary schools and a high school.

The Catholic community of Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme grew out of the Mission founded from the Parish of All Saints in Barton in 1890. Which would become the Parish of English Martyrs’.

As the Catholic community increased it was decided to begin to spilt the Parish of English Martyrs’ into new parishes. In 1953 under the leadership of Fr. Bates (the Parish curate) a new Mission in Flixton was started and placed under the patronage of St. Monica. In 1960 it was announced that Davyhulme would become a new Parish, again guided by the current curate of English Martyrs’ – Fr. Fitzpatrick and placed under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary.

In 2007 Bishop Brain issued a Decree formally amalgamating the Parishes of English Martyrs’ and Our Lady of the Rosary, and founding the Parish of Our Lady and the English Martyrs’.

In 2018 Fr. Kieren Mullarkey arrived from Middleton to take on the responsibility of Parish Priest of Our Lady and the English Martyrs’ and on the retirement of Fr. Bernard Charnock in Advent of that year, began the process of amalgamating the parish with that of St. Monica’s. In 2019 Bishop John issued the Decree amalgamating the Parishes of Our Lady and the English Martyrs and St. Monica’s and creating the new Parish of St. John Henry Newman.