Brief History of the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Mickleover

Remembering our Roots.

Those of us, the majority, who do not know the details of life among the Catholic faithful in Mickleover in the 1950s need to seek out a copy of the booklet, The Silver Jubilee of the Parish, to read about the eventful journeys on the bus to St Joseph’s for 9a.m. Sunday Mass until Fr Key concluded that what the “Mickleover mob” needed was a Mass Centre of its own.  And so, when Fr Edward Byron arrived in 1961 he said his first Mass as our first parish priest in the Memorial Hut on Station Road which had been hired for some time for this purpose.  You need to see the same booklet for stories of prayer mats, prams and parking.

Building the Parish Centre – our first church.

When Fr Byron arrived “like Moses sent to lead God’s people into the Promised Land”, he brought the news that the parish was to be dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.  The search for a site for a church and fund raising began in earnest; almost like we do it now, a planned giving campaign backed up by bingo, bazaars and barbecues.  In 1964 Mickleover Lodge (now the Presbytery) was bought from Dr Michael McCahey and over the next two years the basic church with DIY extras was built in the midst of even more frenetic fund raising.  The parishioners, though sad that some who had worked so hard had not lived to see it, were delighted when the first Mass was said in their own church on Maundy Thursday 1966.  Fr Tim O’Sullivan replaced Fr Byron in 1972. He must have turned into Mr Motivator because, while the rest of the country was on strike, the grounds were cleared and landscaped and the Parish Centre doubled in size, the larger room now to be used as a social club. After being such a hive of activity, the parish settled into a period of much needed quiet consolidation in the care of Fr Jim Daly. 

Building the new church

 One of the first actions of Fr John Younger when he arrived in 1979 was to close the Social Club.  Even though it was a relief to attend Sunday Mass without the attendant smell of cigarettes and stale beer, the need was still felt for a more permanent brick-built church.  Fr John returned inspired from Malta, where he usually retreated when he needed to think deeply, plans were drawn up, planes were jumped out of to put money into the Mickleover Money Machine and within 5 months the builders had moved in.  The result was the church in which we meet today, its altar furnished for Mass with beautifully crafted objects in wood and clay made by parishioners.  At its dedication in 1982, Fr John wondered how long it would be before someone came along and knocked it down to build a bigger one.  We wouldn’t dare because the builders left us in no doubt that they were keeping an eye on us.  And we wouldn’t do it anyway – it is our home and we love it.

Growing as a Community

 As Bishop Malcolm said rather sadly when visiting the parish, Catholic numbers in England peaked around 1982 and have fallen away since. The popular “creed” of the time was individualism and self-fulfilment.  With Fr Frank Daly however as our next parish priest we were led, sometimes slightly reluctantly, to the realisation that we should come together not as individuals but as a community , nourished by the Body of Christ and then ready to invite others into our parish family.  New societies were formed in the parish and links with the Tuesday Club and the Trent Walk, Pastures and Kingsway Hospitals, were forged. One gentleman was delighted to be collected one afternoon by someone from Our Lords and Ladies.  Our community life has been and is still being enriched by those who have become our friends through these ventures.

Churches Together

Churches Together formalised their relationship in 1999 by the official signing of a Covenant which, renewed every 5 years, hangs on the walls of all the Christian churches of Mickleover.  At the same time those of us who live in Etwall and Egginton have found new friends in the members of the other churches in these villages.  This is the culmination of so much growing together - the Summer Field Day in which Catholics warily joined once Vatican II had encouraged more openness; the Vision magazine of the then four churches and the tentative sharing in worship, including early Watchnight Services at the Methodists, though there is no mention of other celebrations afterwards at Our Lady of Lourdes until the 1990s! In the year 2000, when the Methodists began to use our church for worship while their own new one was being built, the foundations were laid for an even deeper growing together in faith and friendship.  Though aware of our failures in achieving Our Lord’s wish that we should all be one, we continue to strive towards our aim of never doing separately what we can do together.

Serving others in love

Reading through the archives it becomes clear that though the big landmarks in the parish give our story structure, it is the small, personal events that have shaped the community we have become – supporting each other in celebration and in sorrow, sitting knitting together or just talking over a cup of coffee, more often than not with cake!  From this firm foundation we have been able to turn our attention outwards and begin, through individual contacts and through Outreach and CAFOD, to bring hope, both locally in Derby and in many parts of the developing world. Through this mission we trust that we will be able to speak to more and more people of God’s all embracing love. 

Looking ahead

When a Mission was given for the growing numbers of Catholics in 1958, the first public Mass in Mickleover for over 400 years was celebrated.  Since then so much has happened – the Parish Centre, the new Church, now with its Gathering Area (don’t dare call it the Porch!) and its tranquil Peace Garden.  We thank God and feel so blessed as, guided by our second Fr John, we look hopefully to the future  and the challenges it brings.

Back to History page