St Joseph's Catholic Church Stockport

Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The parish was served by the Sacred Heart Fatthers until 31 August 2022

Below are the details of our last SCJ priests and Deascon

Our vision: Love with open heart and mind

We are witnesses of God's transforming love in souls and society. We spread God's love around the world with open heart and mind.

Our Mission: Adveniat Regnum Tuum

- Your kingdom come

We are especially for people who are most in need and for the young. Our Congregation focuses on education, social work, missions, spirituality and media to announce the kingdom of God. We live in community, are inspired by daily Eucharistic Adoration, and in a fragmented world we believe unity to be possible

Father Jim Matthews SCJ

Father Jim arrived at St Joseph's in 2010
I belong to an Irish family of 11, ten of whom were walking or cycling two miles to school
at the same time at Philipstown N.S. and Dunleer Tech in the 1950s.
In the 1960s I studied with the Sacred Heart Fathers at Woodcote Hall, Shropshire and Malpas, Cheshire.
Both these colleges were surrounded by farms.
In the 70s, 80s and 90s Malpas was appreciated by retreatants from the Shrewsbury Diocese and beyond.
Dehon House, where I worked from 1996 to 2003, was likewise surrounded by farmland. Like mammy and daddy, I was reared on a small farm.
On my Ordination card (24/03/1974) I quoted St Augustine,

"We work from the outside, as do the farmers in the field. But were there not One who works from within, the seed would never sprout nor grow in the field....".

Ad Multos Annos!
Fr Jim Matthews, scj

Father Blaise Nsangou SCJ

One of the ten kids given by God to Felix (our late loving Dad) and Dorothee , our ever caring, faithful and devoted mother, I left the family to join the Sacred Heart Fathers community in Cameroon in 1989 (Summer holidays). I was 19 years old. I remember my father's only words that day : "my son, God will provide", paraphrasing Abraham (Genesis 22, 8). Since then, I followed the formation steps. I did my first vows in 1992 (12th August) in the Sacred Heart Fathers congregation. 22nd January 2000, day of my ordination as a priest, marks a new tone of the 'adventure' as Christ's follower. "I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full ". Jn 10, 10b. I am grateful for all the paths God and my hierarchy are still leading me through. A step forward on this way: the door open to be part of our British-Irish Fathers' mission since 2014 at St Joseph's Parish - Stockport. Thank you all for your warm and friendly welcome. " It is for them that I pray". Jn 17, 9a Blaise Nsangou

Reverend Terry Simms Deacon

My vocation to the Permanent Diaconate was fostered here at St Joseph's when at the age of seven I was called to serve at the altar. Throughout my working life as a policeman in Stockport, that call to the service of the people encouraged me on retirement, through prayer and contemplation to the Permanent Diaconate.Bishop Brian Noble accepted me onto the three year training programme and Canon Stephen Coonan, a former parishioner at St Joseph's, was my tutor. I was ordained on 3rd July 2004 at the Cathedral in Shrewsbury. Having been ordained only a short time I was asked by Bishop Brian to become a member of the Chaplaincy at Manchester Airport where I ministered three days per week to the twenty thousand workforce and the passengers in that has been described as the largest parish in Manchester.My main ministry is of course St Joseph's. The Deacon's duties are seen to fall into three areas - teaching, leading and sanctifying and all are covered by the code of canon law. The word Deacon is linked with the concept of servant and service. The Permanent Deacons' ministry is intended to assist all members of the church, both clerical and lay. The actual roles performed therefore vary according to the local specific needs and also the wider needs of the church. The aim of the Deacon should always be to encourage each individual member of the community to use their God-given gifts in building God's Kingdom here on earth. This may require all of us, lay and ordained members, to develop a mature view of what being a Christian means in today's world. The permanent deacon is an ordinary minister of baptism. He may assist at and bless marriages and may preside at funerals. During the celebration of mass he will proclaim the gospel assist the priest liturgically and he can preach. Canon law states the Permanent Deacon may provide communion services in the absence of priest and administer sacraments and blessings. He may also expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration and give Benediction. He may also provide public devotions especially the Litugy of the Hours of which he himself is bound to recite daily those parts determined by the Bishop's Conference. The Permanent Deacon can also provide a liaison between the interests of the laity and those of the clergy in general. I could not Minister without support my wife Margaret, the clergy and parishioners at Saint Joseph's and many others.