History of Our Parish
Brief sketch
This is a brief sketch of our parish's history. Further details can be found in a booklet covering the years 1955-2005, and our Archive.
In the late 1800s, Acomb was a village on the outskirts of York. With industrialisation the city spread, Acomb becoming a suburb of York in 1937.
In the late 1800s, Acomb was a village on the outskirts of York. With industrialisation the city spread, Acomb becoming a suburb of York in 1937.
1934: Gale Lane, Acomb. Photo courtesy of The Press, York.
Catholics in the area attended English Martyrs Church on Dalton Terrace, but it was clear that Acomb's growth necessitated a new parish, a hope delayed by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Since the Catholic community prioritised the education of its children, the first Masses of a fledgling parish were celebrated in a primary school in Front Street from 1941. This Mass centre was served by the priests from English Martyrs Church, and for over a decade parishioners raised money for a new church building in Acomb.
In 1954 the parish of Our Lady's, Acomb, was established, with Father Edward Ward its first priest (see also our full list of parish clergy). In February that year, the foundation stone was laid by the Bishop of Leeds (Acomb was in his diocese at that time), the Right Reverend John Carmel Heenan (who would go on to become Archbishop of Liverpool, then Archbishop of Westminster, and was made a cardinal).
In 1954 the parish of Our Lady's, Acomb, was established, with Father Edward Ward its first priest (see also our full list of parish clergy). In February that year, the foundation stone was laid by the Bishop of Leeds (Acomb was in his diocese at that time), the Right Reverend John Carmel Heenan (who would go on to become Archbishop of Liverpool, then Archbishop of Westminster, and was made a cardinal).
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The first clergy of Our Lady's Parish.
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Cardinal Heenan in 1969 photographed by Godfrey Argent. Image © National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG x166008);
used with Creative Commons licence. |
Foundation Stone ceremony report in The Yorkshire Gazette, 12 February 1954.
Though the scarcity of building supplies after the war meant that ambitious plans had to be curtailed, on 25th March 1955 (feast of The Annunciation), the present church was opened, and the parish house a few months later.
1956: Gale Lane in the foreground, with the new Our Lady's Church and Parish House circled. Photo courtesy of The Press, York.
In 1956 Green Hammerton became part of Our Lady's parish, extending its area to nearly 200 square miles; in 1960 Father Ward decided to find a site for a new chapel of ease in that area, and the following year the parish purchased what became St. Joseph's Church in Green Hammerton. The church was closed by the diocese in 2022 as it no longer met health and safety requirements.
In the 1960s Our Lady's was reordered to follow the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
1975: Gale Lane, Acomb. Photo courtesy of The Press, York.
In 1982 the parish was transferred from Leeds Diocese to Middlesbrough Diocese so that all of York's parishes were in the same ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
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Left: Front Street, Acomb, in 1990. Right: Foxwood Lane, Acomb, in 1992. Photos courtesy of The Press, York.
In 2012 Our Lady's and English Martyrs Primary Schools merged to become Our Lady Queen of Martyrs.
Over the decades the parish has been blessed with the presence and ministry of various religious communities, including the Congregation of Jesus (sisters from the Bar Convent), Mercy Sisters, Poor Clares, and Carmelite friars.
In 2015 the pastoral care of the parish was entrusted by the Bishop of Middlesbrough to the British Province of Carmelites, with Carmelite friar Fr. Kevin Melody, O.Carm., appointed parish priest. He was succeeded in 2017 by Carmelite friar Fr. Antony (Tony) Lester, O.Carm., and when Tony transferred from the Order to the Diocese of Middlesbrough in 2019 the Carmelites no longer had pastoral responsibility.
Through the ministry of Fr. Tony and various parishioners, the parish has become connected to various chaplaincies and apostolates, including: HMP/YOI Askham Grange; HMP Millsike; Foss Park Hospital (mental health); York District Hospital; and the Diocese of Middlesbrough's LGBT+ Outreach Ministry.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, like all churches in the country, Our Lady's was temporarily closed for public worship. Masses and other prayer services were live-streamed, a practice that has continued as a form of outreach to housebound parishioners, as well as 'virtual parishioners' across Britain and beyond.
In 2025 the parish celebrated 70 years since Our Lady's was opened. Canon (Church) Law states that a church building cannot be dedicated until it is debt-free. Although the parish had been debt-free and thriving for a considerable time, the church and altar had never been formally dedicated. Therefore the Bishop of Middlesbrough, Rt. Rev. Terence Drainey, came to dedicate the church and altar on 14th September 2025 as part of the parish's 70th birthday celebrations; a powerful symbol of all that has happened since 1955, and a recommitment to spread the Good News of God's love by word and deed in our part of 'God's own country' of Yorkshire.
Over the decades the parish has been blessed with the presence and ministry of various religious communities, including the Congregation of Jesus (sisters from the Bar Convent), Mercy Sisters, Poor Clares, and Carmelite friars.
In 2015 the pastoral care of the parish was entrusted by the Bishop of Middlesbrough to the British Province of Carmelites, with Carmelite friar Fr. Kevin Melody, O.Carm., appointed parish priest. He was succeeded in 2017 by Carmelite friar Fr. Antony (Tony) Lester, O.Carm., and when Tony transferred from the Order to the Diocese of Middlesbrough in 2019 the Carmelites no longer had pastoral responsibility.
Through the ministry of Fr. Tony and various parishioners, the parish has become connected to various chaplaincies and apostolates, including: HMP/YOI Askham Grange; HMP Millsike; Foss Park Hospital (mental health); York District Hospital; and the Diocese of Middlesbrough's LGBT+ Outreach Ministry.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, like all churches in the country, Our Lady's was temporarily closed for public worship. Masses and other prayer services were live-streamed, a practice that has continued as a form of outreach to housebound parishioners, as well as 'virtual parishioners' across Britain and beyond.
In 2025 the parish celebrated 70 years since Our Lady's was opened. Canon (Church) Law states that a church building cannot be dedicated until it is debt-free. Although the parish had been debt-free and thriving for a considerable time, the church and altar had never been formally dedicated. Therefore the Bishop of Middlesbrough, Rt. Rev. Terence Drainey, came to dedicate the church and altar on 14th September 2025 as part of the parish's 70th birthday celebrations; a powerful symbol of all that has happened since 1955, and a recommitment to spread the Good News of God's love by word and deed in our part of 'God's own country' of Yorkshire.
