ONE of Leigh's biggest churches is busy planning its 150th jubilee celebration.

Clergy, led by Parish Priest, the Rev Fr Austin Hughes, and parishioners from St Joseph's RC will rejoice at an evening Mass and reception in the Parish Hall on May 14.

And for their part in the jubilee St Joseph's Players are rehearsing the "Mistress of Novices", the story of St Bernadette, by John Kerr and directed by Dorothy Johnson.

Meanwhile the youth groups are organising a fun day on June 5 in aid of CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, which works to rid the world of poverty.

Though the present church was built in 1855 there is a long history of early missions there dating back to the mid 17th century, when many parts of Lancashire were strongholds of the old faith after the reformation.

A Jesuit mission was recorded in Leigh as early as 1640, but the first registered priest in 1678 was Father John Penketh of the Society of Jesus, alias John Rivers. However, at that time the persecutions of clergy re-started and Fr. Penketh was arrested and imprisoned in Lancaster Gaol. He was tried in 1679 and sentenced to death but was granted a royal reprieve. He remained in prison until James II acceded to the throne in 1685 when all imprisoned priests were released.

In 1778 Fr. Joseph Shaw built a new chapel on the corner of Chapel Street and Mather Lane, Bedford, and registers survive from that date to the present. There was no graveyard initially, so burials would have continued to be at Leigh St Mary's C of E. Additional land was later bought and a graveyard opened in 1816. Marriages would also have had to be at St Mary's or some other C of E parish church under Lord Hardwicke's act of 1754 which was not repealed until 1837. However, it was the practice at that time for Roman Catholics to have two marriage ceremonies, one legally at a C of E parish church and one at an RC chapel, and these duplicate marriages are recorded in the register from 1808-1828.

In 1829 most of the restrictions against Roman Catholics were repealed, and under new arrangements Leigh came under the RC Diocese of Liverpool which was elevated to an archdiocese in 1911.In 1855 the chapel was replaced by today's church which was built on an adjacent site and dedicated to St Joseph. It suffered severe storm damage in 1865 and was repaired. The tower was added shortly after, completing the present building. St Joseph's was the only RC church in the area until Sacred Heart at Hindsford, Atherton, opened in 1865.

The cemetery in Manchester Road was opened in 1856 with a Roman Catholic section and chapel and from that date burials take place there but are still recorded in St Joseph's register. St Joseph's graveyard was progressively paved over after removal of remains and now is a car park for the church.