The parish of St John Paul II was formed on 29th November 2018 from the amalgamation of the former parishes of Holy Cross, St Matthew and St Gilbert, Eccles, and St Mary, Eccles, and is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford. Our boundaries encompass Eccles, Barton Moss, Barton upon Irwell, Brookhouse, Monton, Patricroft, Peel Green, Winton and parts of Worsley.
The parish is administered from Holy Cross, where the parish priest lives. Masses are regularly celebrated in the churches of Holy Cross and St Mary, though parishioners will join together for some larger "family" celebrations at Holy Cross church which is big enough to accommodate 500 people with ease. A number of weekday Masses are also celebrated in our parish schools. The presbytery at St Gilbert's, one of the former constituent parishes, is now the residence of a small community of Franciscan Missionaries of St Joseph, with Sister Teresa now giving invaluable service to the parish from there as "Parish Sister," following the recent retirement of Sister Jenny. The Parish Priest, Fr Martin Collins, was appointed by bishop John Arnold in November 2018 as first parish priest of the new parish, having previously served for about 3½ years at Holy Cross, St Matthew's and St Gilbert's. Committees of parishioners work hard to maintain the smooth running of the parish, and assist in the planning and running of activities both spiritual and social. Our secretary, Marie, can be contacted in the parish office on Mondays or Tuesdays between 11am and 4pm, with Sister Teresa normally available on Wednesdays. Pam, who runs our Baptism preparation programme, is usually in the office on Thursdays. Come along to Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday and find a warm welcome in this large, family-friendly parish!
Spiritual Life
The heart of our parish life is found in its spirituality, and the expression of this goes through and beyond the daily celebration of the Mass.
- Most weekday Masses at Holy Cross are preceded by recitation on the Holy Rosary for world peace, given the extent of unrest in the world at present and the number of people who are suffering because of it.
- Our Friday evening Masses at Holy Cross and Saturday midday Masses at St Mary's are preceded by an hour's Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, (with the Sacrament of Reconciliation available).
- During October, the Holy Rosary is celebrated during Friday evening's Holy Hour, with the Stations of the Cross celebrated during Lent and Divine Mercy in June, the month of the Sacred Heart. Several other devotions are also celebrated throughout the year, as announced.
- A Prayer Group meets monthly in the Sacristy at St Mary's, usually on the first Monday of each month.
- Other prayer and Rosary groups meet regularly at St Gilbert's Presbytery as announced, with the support of Sister Teresa.
- Special Services are arranged at various times during the year by the Spirituality Group from the Parish Committee.
- Each of our schools is actively involved in the parish, and we value the school communities for all they bring as the Church of Tomorrow. Many of their special celebrations take place in our churches, ranging from commissioning of GIFT Team Chaplains ("Growing In Faith Together") to Carol Services, Feast Day Masses and many more.
- Each year, organised by the SVP (the "Society of St Vincent de Paul"), we hold a Mass of Healing for the sick, and many of our housebound parishioners are brought to this and served with food afterwards.
- Each November we commemorate all those who have died with a special Mass of Remembrance, and we aim to invite all those families who have suffered bereavements during the past year.
- Annually, a Day of Recollection (or similar) is organised to give parishioners the opportunity for spiritual renewal, and in 2023 a Parish Mission week took place led by the Redemptorists which was a wonderful experience for us all.
Other Activities and Practical Ministries
The Parish Committee incorporates our previous Pastoral and Social Outreach Committees and works in line with Bishop John Arnold's diocesan initiative. This group assists with many aspects of parish life and with our missionary outreach into the local community. Various sub-committees meet separately in order to maximise the possibilities that can be achieved. Two of our Safeguarding Reps, Ged (from St Mary's) and Marie (from Holy Cross), sit on the Parish Committee, and can be contacted, (along with our other Safeguarding Rep, Anna), via the contact page of this website or by email. (See the Parish Newsletter for more details).
We are blessed with several groups and activities running within the parish:
The SVP group (Society of St Vincent De Paul) meets approximately fortnightly, as announced, co-ordinating their work in support of the elderly, the sick and the needy. Contact Ged via the Parish Office for more information.
A large team of Altar Servers (affiliated with the Guild of St Stephen) assist at our Masses and other Services in both churches.
Several Eucharistic Ministers assist with Holy Communion at Mass and also take Holy Communion to the sick and housebound of the parish. If you are aware of someone who might be in need of this service, please let Marie know in the parish office.
Many Readers serve on a rota basis at Mass.
The Parish Choir comes together in great strength to enhance our major celebrations such as Christmas and Easter, and in smaller numbers each attend different Masses over the weekend to lead music at our Saturday evening and each of our Sunday morning Masses. (We keep the Sunday evening Mass quiet, to cater for those who may find it difficult to cope with longer Services or with too much volume of sound).
A new Eco Group has been established to consider environmental issues in line with the papal document "Laudato Si" (2015).
From time to time our Social Committee also puts on social activities for our parishioners and friends, to build and celebrate that sense of community which is so important to our identity as a parish family, and as the family of God. We have had Fairs, Irish nights, Quizzes, Race Nights and Christmas Concerts, to name but a few.
Several parishioners have been trained in the use of the defibrillators which have been installed in Holy Cross and St Mary's churches for the added safety of our people.
If you would like to get involved with the parish in any way, please let Masie know in the Parish Office.