DOES anyone remember Father Thomas Murray, who was parish priest in Sabden for nearly 30 years?

When he took up the post in the thirties his health was so poor he admitted he did not have many years left — yet he survived to become one of the oldest Catholic priests in the area.

He retired in 1962, aged 81, after 56 years in the church.

On his retirement, he said: “This is what Sabden has done for me.

“When I came here in 1933 I was very ill and did not expect to live long.

“I have loved Sabden and it has done me a great deal of good, too.

“The village gave me new interest and the villagers gave me wonderful treatment and encouragement.”

Father Murray will be remembered as the man who built the village’s first Roman Catholic church.

Five years after he moved in work began and he said the first mass at midnight on Christmas 1938.

Building work was completed in three months and with the help of the people it was paid for by the time it was completed.

On his retirement Father Murray moved to Brighton and he was succeeded by Father James Begley, from Blackburn.