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St. Mary’s Church, Derby – St Marys Roman Catholic Church Derby - Home | Facebook

Welcome: Church for all.

St Marys Church Derby viewed from across bridge

Welcome to the website for St Mary’s Church and Parish, Derby. We hope you find it helpful and informative.

Whether you are a visitor to the city or a local, you are warmly invited to visit our magnificent Pugin church. You are welcome to attend a service or just pop in and have a walk round.

Our Mission
“St Mary’s Parish Community exists to give glory to God, to foster the personal holiness of its members, and to bring Christ to the world.”

Our Vision
“An active, committed and involved community of people and priests working in harmony to achieve their parish mission.”

Our sister parishes, served from St Mary’s, are Holy Family, Blenheim Drive, Allestree, Derby DE22 2LG and Christ the King, Prince Charles Avenue, Mackworth, Derby DE22 4BG.

Safeguarding Statement

The Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance to us. Our Parish Safeguarding Officers are Charlotte Idigo at St Mary’s, Suzanne Forster at Holy Family and Chris Jones at Christ the King. They are supported and follow procedures provided by the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer, Rachel Campion.

Their contact details are:

Charlotte Idigo – safeguarding@stmarysparish.co.uk or via the parish office address or telephone number (01332 346126).

Suzanne Forster - hfallestreesafeguarding@gmail.com

Chris Jones - christopher.jonespsr@dioceseofnottingham.uk

Rachael Campion – safeguarding@dioceseofnottingham.uk or postal correspondence:
NRCDT 1,
Castle Quay,
Nottingham NG7 1FW

alternatively telephone 0115 953 9849. A further point of contact is the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service email: admin@csas.uk.net or telephone 0207 901 1920

If a child or vulnerable adult is in immediate danger you should dial 999.

We believe all allegations of abuse should be reported no matter when they happened, no matter whether the accused person is alive or dead. If abuse has occurred, we take steps to offer support to the abused and hold perpetrators to account. We also take active steps to embed a culture of safeguarding in our parish to prevent abuse happening in the first place. In that way we do all we can to live out the Gospel which proclaims the personal dignity of every human life.

Safeguarding Newsletter

Safeguarding Newsletter March 2023 - Download PDF

Meet our Priests

Fr Gregory Tobin

I was born in Derby City Hospital in September 1958, and Baptised the following month at St Albans Church, Chaddesden. Having been given the name of Michael Walshe after my birth father from Claremorris, Co. Mayo, I was then adopted by Mathew (Roscrea Tipperary) and Doreen (Leeds) Tobin (Nee O’Neill) through the Catholic Children Society and renamed Gregory Michael Tobin.

The family home was in Arnold, Nottingham. Together with my sister Deb and brother Mark we attended The Good Shepherd School under the watchful eye of Sister Patricia (Sister of St. Joseph of Peace) then onto Christ the King Comprehensive during the time of Mr. John Bateson.

The Church provided a focus for the family. There was music, altar serving, uniformed groups, youth clubs and discussion groups which included various trips to The Briars Residential Centre where Fr Michael Bell was in charge.

Fr Owen O’Neill was the Assistant Priest during my formative years and he encouraged me to consider a vocation to the Priesthood, having spoken of the fulfilling and happy years he had experienced as a Priest. This got me thinking and in 1977, when I made my formal application to Bishop McGuinness, he sent me to the English College, Valladolid, Spain for 6 years of study and preparation for the Priestly Ministry. This came as a bit of a surprise as languages were not my strong point and the classes were all in Spanish after the first year of introductions to it all. Nevertheless, I always enjoy a challenge and set about learning Castellano and getting to know the people in the parish of San Isidro with the PP Don Jose. We seminarians helped out with the music and Catechesis for Confirmation.Fr Peter Dooling, a Nottingham Diocesan Priest, was on the staff of the college, and proved to be a great support to me. Sadly, he died in 2011 whilst Parish Priest of Skegness.

During my time in Valladolid my father sadly died in April 1979. My mother then relocated from Arnold to the parish of St. Joseph’s, Leicester, to be closer to her own mother and sisters.

In 1983 I was ordained to the Ministerial Priesthood by Bishop McGuiness at St Joseph’s, Leicester. I have since ministered at the Sacred Heart, Carlton (1983), St Joseph’s, Derby (1983-1989), SS Peter and Paul, Lincoln (1989) The Briars Residential Youth Centre (1990-2001), the Holy Spirit, West Bridgford (2001-2011), together with Our Lady of Grace, Cotgrave (2003-2011), and St Margaret Clitheroe, Keyworth (2003-2006), All Saints, Old Glossop and St Mary Crowned, Glossop (2011-2019), and here I am back in Derby, in St Mary’s parish.

My role in the Diocese also involves organising the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes every July.

I enjoy playing golf, watching sport, playing music, and going back to Spain whenever I can!

Fr Taz Lasola

I was born in January 1979 and was baptized at the same month at St. Sebastian Church. I am the seventh of eight children of Ildefonso Lasola and Cornelia Valaquio. I grew up in the town of Jamindan, province of Capiz, Philippines.

My grandmother and parents were a huge influence on my love for the Eucharist and the church. While still at a very young age, I used to come with them every day to the parish Mass. I was recruited as one of the altar servers of the parish and later developed my vocation for the priesthood. My vocation was also influenced by my older brother who was at the time studying in the seminary.

I entered the seminary at the age of 12 in 1991. I began high school through to college years at St Pius X Seminary and finished my post-graduate Theology Study at St. Joseph Regional Seminary. Finally, after 14 rigorous and formative years I was ordained on 10 November 2005 for the Archdiocese of Capiz.

Since then, I was assigned as assistant parish priest of St Nicholas of Tolentino Parish (2005-2006), Priest-Formator at Sancta Maria Mater et Regina Seminarium (2006-2011), assistant parish priest in St Thomas of Villanova Parish (2011-2012), assistant Mission Station Priest and later Parish Priest of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Parish (2012-2018), and Mission Station Priest of Jesus Nazareno Mission Station (2018-2021)

I arrived at St. Mary's Derby on 19th of April 2021 as a missionary priest on loan for the Diocese of Nottingham.

I love cycling, tennis, watching TV and movies, and I like to make the journey to some pilgrimages if possible.

Canon Timothy O'Sullivan

Fr Tim was born in 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. before moving at the age of 2 months to County Kerry, Eire. He is the eldest of six children. He studied for the priesthood at Kilkenny College and was ordained on 4 June 1961 for the Diocese of Nottingham.

His first appointment was as Assistant Priest at St Mary’s, Derby under the tutelage of the then Parish Priest, Monsignor Humphrey Wilson. Since then Fr Tim has been Assistant Priest at Holy Souls, Scunthorpe, and at St Mary’s, Worksop. In 1972 he was appointed Parish Priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, Mickleover, Derby, and then in 1976 moved to Holy Trinity Parish, Newark.

He returned to St Mary’s, Derby in 1993 and can often be seen riding his bike around the parish when visiting his parishioners. In 2000 he was made Canon of the Cathedral Chapter. On 4th June 2011 he celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. His main interests outside the parish are golf, the Kerry football team and his extended family - not necessarily in that order!

Meet our Deacons

Deacon Chris Blunt

Deacon Chris was born on the 15th December 1949 in Bolton, Lancashire, the 6th of 7 children born to Ben and Margaret Blunt. Chris left school shortly after his 15th birthday and was employed as an apprentice butcher working at various businesses in the Bolton area. It was while working at Bolton Cooperative Society that Chris met Elaine and in 1975, they got married at St. Brendan’s Church, Harwood, Bolton. They set up home in Derby where they had bought a butcher’s business which Chris ran for 23 years before selling the business in 1998. Elaine and Chris have four children, Eve, Anna, Matthew and Megan - all the children having attended St. Mary’s and St. Benedict School.

Chris then spent 17 years working as a government inspector with the Food Standards Agency and its predecessors before retiring in 2014.

Elaine and Chris have two small grandchildren; Oscar and Louie.

Chris has been an active parishioner in St. Mary’s for over 30 years beginning with reading at Mass, chair of Derby Deanery Justice and Peace Group, and involved in various catechetical programmes. After the Nottingham assembly of 2003 Chris helped to set up St. Mary’s liturgy group and was its chairman for the first seven years. Chris and Elaine enjoy walking, gardening, looking after the grandchildren and going on holiday.

After four years of formation at Oscott College in Birmingham, Chris was ordained as a Deacon for Nottingham Diocese by Bishop Patrick McKinney on the 11th June 2016.

Deacon Martin Farrell

Deacon Martin was brought up in a traditional Catholic family in the town of Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. He attended the Sacred Heart Primary School and the Salesian Missionary College at Shrigley Park, near Macclesfield, Cheshire. After working in the Department of Health and Social Security, he studied for over three years at the Royal Scots College in Valladolid, Spain.

He went on to complete a BA Honours Degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies with Philosophy in 1984, and a PhD on Spanish Catholicism at the University of Strathclyde in 1992. The same year, he moved to Derby to take up a Senior Lecturer post at the new University there, and also worked as a residential student warden.

In 1993, he married his wife Monica who gave birth to their two daughters, Louisa and Gemma, and they have been part of St Mary’s Parish since then. In 2000, he published his book on The Search for the Religious Ideal in Castillo-Puche, and took up a teaching post at Loughborough University. He was also a Foundation Governor of St Benedict School in Derby from 2002 to 2015.

He began his Diaconate studies in 2010 at the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham and was ordained a Deacon at St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham, on 1 November 2014. Back in his native Scotland, Martin has been a keen hillwalker who, along with his wife and children, have conquered a few Munro mountains over the years.

St Mary’s Mass Times

Day	Time	Venue
Sunday	9:00am, 11:00am, 6:30pm	Church
Monday	12.00 noon Exposition 1.00pm Mass	Lady Chapel
Tuesday	12.00 noon Exposition 1.00pm Mass	Lady Chapel
Wednesday	12.00 noon Exposition 1.00pm Mass	Lady Chapel
Thursday	12.00 noon Exposition 1.00pm Mass	Lady Chapel
Friday	12.00 noon Exposition 1.00pm Mass	Lady Chapel
Saturday	11.00am Exposition 12.00 noon Mass	Lady Chapel

Please read ‘Important Notices’ for the latest information on our Mass Times, which are now celebrated by our Priests privately.

Holy Days of Obligation

St Mary’s Church
Holy Day 1.00pm and 6.30pm

How to find us

St Mary’s Church is sited between Darley Lane and Arthur Street, overlooking the Derby inner ring road (A 601 - St Alkmund’s Way) though it cannot be reached directly from the ring road.

If approaching from the north, turn left off Duffield Road (A6) into Edward Street. Then turn right at the bottom of Edward Street into Darley Lane. The church lies at the end of this road.

If approaching from any other direction follow the signs off the inner ring road for the A6 (north - Duffield, Belper, Matlock), then into the ‘one-way’ system through Garden Street, stay in the right hand lane, and follow the road round through the traffic lights bearing right, staying in the one way system until you are heading south on Duffield Road, then move into the left hand lane and turn left into Edward Street. Turn right at the bottom of Edward Street into Darley Lane. St Mary’s lies at the end of this road. There is a parish carpark next St Mary’s Church and Parish Centre.

view larger map

Contacts

Parish Priest:
Father Gregory Tobin

Telephone:
01332 346126

Email:
greg.tobin@dioceseofnottingham.uk

Address:
Rectory, Bridge Gate, Derby DE1 3AU

Assistant Priest:
Canon Timothy O'Sullivan

Telephone:
01332 340161

Assistant Priest:
Father Taz Lasola

Telephone:
01332 346126

Email:
taz.lasola@dioceseofnottingham.uk

Address:
St Mary’s Rectory, Bridge Gate, Derby DE1 3AU

Parish Administrator:
Selina Alton

Telephone:
01332 346126

Email:
selina.alton@dioceseofnottingham.uk

Catechetical Co-ordinator:
Mrs. Fran Hazel

Telephone:
01332 346126

Email:
fran.hazel@dioceseofnottingham.uk

St Mary’s parish is part of the Diocese of Nottingham.

Diocesan website:
www.nottingham-diocese.org.uk

Our Bishop is Patrick McKinney who was ordained tenth Bishop of Nottingham in St Barnabas’ Cathedral on Friday 3rd July 2015. He succeeded Bishop Malcolm McMahon who was appointed Archbishop of Liverpool in May 2014.

Convents

St. Philomena's Convent

Address:
Highfields, Broadway

Telephone:
(01332) 550122

Beechwood Convent - Broadway

Telephone:
(01332) 558043

Yearbook 2024

Yearbook 2024 eVersion

Ordo 2024 eVersion

Synod 2021-23

Donation to our Jesse Tree Project

Jesse Tree Window donations - many thanks to those of you who have already donated money to our sanctuary window restoration fund. The glass has now been removed and is being re-leaded, cleaned and restored by Chapel Studios. Our stone mason, Mark Eaton, is undertaking repairs to the stonework, ready for the return of the windows in 2022.

This is essential but expensive work,donations are much appreciated, we would kindly recommend bank transfer to our account, the BACS details are sort code: 30 92 59 account: 00428642 (name St Mary's Derby RCP NRCDT) please put your surname and WINDOW as the reference or by cheque to 'St Mary's Derby RCP NRCDT'; or cash (Rectory's letterbox or Back of the church box. Many thanks Fr Greg