Popular Father John set to retire from St Joseph's after 41 years
Date published: 24 May 2022
Father John Scanlan
After more than four memorable decades in the role, Father John Scanlan will retire as Parish Priest at St Joseph's in Shaw next month.
Father Scanlan, a hugely popular figure in and around the local community, will hang up his robes after a total of SIXTY years in the priesthood.
Father John Brendan Scanlan was ordained a priest on June 9, 1962.
He was an assistant priest at Saint Anne’s in Ancoats for eight years, before moving to be the parish priest at Saint Herbert’s in Chadderton for five years.
He moved on to Saint Hugh of Lincoln in Stretford in 1975 and finally moved to Saint Joseph's in Shaw in May, 1981.
His first task was to visit every Catholic home in the parish and to set in motion replacing the old church and school with a new church.
In September, 1982, the diocesan finance board gave the go-ahead for the building of a new church, with the aim of accommodating 280 people.
On February 28, 1984, there was a full church for the last mass in the old church - which was built on top of the school in 1894 - and so, with its closure, came to an end another chapter in the history of Saint Joseph's.
The new church was opened to a packed congregation and blessed by Bishop Holland on March 19, 1984 – the feast day of Saint Joseph.
In June, 1987, Bishop Burke went to Saint Joseph's to consecrate the church now that it had been completely paid for, and that on the eve of Father Scanlan’s priesthood silver jubilee.
In June 2012, Father Scanlan celebrated his golden jubilee with a special mass and celebrations.
During his time at Saint Joseph's, the old church and school were demolished and turned into a car park for the new church.
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith’s church at Wren’s Nest was later sold for £87,000.
A new parish centre was built, and opened on the feast of Saint Joseph – March 19, 2000.
The celebrations began with benediction in church and then everyone gathered in the new centre, which Father Scanlan blessed and celebrations continued until late into the evening.
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