The 1870’s was a decade when a number of new parishes, or missions as they were then known, were established in the Oldham area by the Bishop of Salford, Herbert Vaughan. These were St. Edward’s, Lees; St. Joseph’s, Shaw; St.Anne’s, Greenacres, Oldham; and Saints Aidan and Oswald at Royton. St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s Churches, Oldham, were already in existence/

The Catholics of the Hollinwood area had long distances to walk to Mass and the first attempt to set up a chapel in this area came through Fr. John Baste in 1877. Two small cottages in Maple Street, on the eastern side of Manchester Road, were rented, and a sparsely furnished chapel was then available to welcome the first Catholics.

The area of this new mission was extremely extensive, taking in parts of Oldham around Hollins, Werneth and Westwood, and nearly the whole of Chadderton. It was designated Hollinwood after that vaguely-defined district which had, by the late nineteenth century, an urbanised centre around Manchester Road. Much of this has since been demolished.

Fr. C. Muller was placed in charge as rector, as parish priests were then styled, and shortly afterwards, aided by Dean Brindle of St. Patrick’s, was able to buy land in Old Lane, Chadderton, where a school-chapel was constructed. This was opened in 1878, by Canon Sheehan, the Vicar-General of the Diocese of Salford. To meet the growing needs of the district further extensions were be Fr. Thomas Walsh who was rector from 1879 to 1888.