
Clergy
The clergy of Sacred Heart & St Gerard's Parish

Father Stuart Parkes
PARISH PRIEST
Father Stuart Parkes was ordained to the Priesthood for the Diocese of Motherwell in 2001 by Bishop Joseph Devine in his home parish of St Cadocs, Halfway. His first appointment was as Assistant Priest of St. Joseph’s, Blantyre before moving to be Assistant Priest of St Columbkille's Rutherglen where he remained for 3 years. In 2012 he was appointed Parish Priest of St Edward's, Airdrie where he remained until 2015, taking up the position as Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, East Kilbride following the appointment of Bishop Nolan as Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway in 2015. Father Parkes ministry in the Diocese has also involved time as Chaplain to St John Ogilvie and Holy Cross High Schools in Hamilton. He also served as the Diocesan Youth Chaplain until 2015 and has served as the Diocesan Master of Ceremonies from 2003-2017. In 2017, Father Parkes was appointed by the Bishops Conference of Scotland as Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. After serving his three year term in Rome, Father Parkes returned to Scotland and to parish life in 2020, taking up his appointment as Parish Priest of Sacred Heart & St Gerard's Bellshill on 29 September 2020. As well as his parish duties, Fr Parkes is also Vice-Dean of the Motherwell & Central Deanery, a member of the Council of Priests and serves on the Diocesan Fabric and Planning Committee.
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Deacon Jim Aitken
PERMANENT DEACON
Deacon Jim was born in Viewpark in 1950, a native of St Columba’s Parish. He attended St Columba’s Primary and Our Lady’s High School in Motherwell. He married his wife, Maureen, in St Gerard's Church Bellshill in 1972 and has lived in Mossend since 1976. In his professional career he was a housing manager in Hamilton and Maryhill Housing Association in Glasgow, in addition to being Chair, Treasurer or committee member of two other housing associations. He finished his working career at the end of 2014 as Centre Manager of the Xaverian Missionary’s Conforti Institute in Coatbridge. In 2002 he began studies which would lead to him being ordained as a permanent deacon for Motherwell Diocese on 19th June 2007 by Bishop Joseph Devine. He graduated the following year with a B.A. (Hons) in Applied Theology awarded by Maryvale Institute in Birmingham and the Open University. Deacon Jim served in St Francis Xavier Parish in Carfin from 2003 to 2007 as pastoral assistant and from 2007 to 2020 as parish deacon. Deacon Jim is also the Chancellor of the Diocese of Motherwell and a case instructor in the Scottish Catholic Inter Diocesan Tribunal in Glasgow. As a deacon he leads the propaedeutic (discernment) year in Scotland for men who feel they may have a vocation to be a permanent deacon and is Assistant Director of the Permanent Diaconate in Motherwell Diocese. On 29 September 2020, Deacon Jim took up appointed as Parish Deacon of Sacred Heart & St Gerard's, Bellshill.
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Previous Parish Priests

Father James Butler
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART 1949-1958
Rev. James Butler Born: 2nd December 1904, Donagh-more, Co. Limerick Education: St. Munchin's, Sacred Heart College, Limerick, St. Patrick's College, Carlow Knockbeg College, the Junior Seminary of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Ordained: 9th June 1929 Assistant Priest: Sacred Heart, Bridgeton 1929-1943 Assistant Priest: Holy Family, Mossend 1943-1949 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 1949 Died: 10th October 1958 Buried: St Patrick’s Cemetery, New Stevenston

Canon Patrick Heaney
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART 1958-1967
Born: 25th November 1901 at Glasgow Education: St. Mary's College, Blairs (1918-1922) and Scots College, Rome (1922-1929). Ordained: 6th May, 1928 in Rome. Assistant Priest: St Bridget’s Baillieston 1929-1932 Assistant Priest: St John’s Barrhead 1932-1934 Assistant Priest: St John the Baptist’s Uddingston 1934-1949 Parish Priest: St Isidore’s Biggar 1949-1950 Parish Priest: Our Lady and St John’s Blackwood 1950-1953 Parish Priest: St Kevin’s Bargeddie 1953-1958 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart Bellshill 1958-1967 Installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter: 1964 Died: 20th May 1967, Bon Secours Hospital, Langside Buried: St Patrick’s Cemetery New Stevenston

Canon Patrick Moss
PARISH PRIEST OF ST GERARD'S 1967-1977
Born: 16th March 1926 Tullycar, Aghyaran, Ordained: 4th June 1950 in St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney Assistant Priest: Our Lady & St. Joseph's, Glenboig 1950-1955 Assistant Priest: St. Barbara's, Muirhead 1955-1958 Assistant Priest: St. Columbkille's, Rutherglen 1958-1967 Parish Priest: St. Gerard's, Bellshill 1967-1977 Parish Priest: St. James', Coatbridge 1977-1981 Parish Priest: St. Anthony's, Rutherglen 1981-1987 Parish Priest: Our Lady & St. John's, Blackwood 1987-2001 Retired: 2001 Died: Good Friday, 18th April 2014, Omagh, Ireland Buried: St. Patrick’s Church, Aghyaran, Derry Diocese

Monsignor Philip Flannigan
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART 1967-1978
Born: 2nd January 1913, Baillieston Education: St Aloysius’ College Glasgow, Pontifical Scots College Rome Ordained: 1935 Vice Rector: Pontifical Scots College, Rome, 1938-1958 Rector: Royal Scots College, Valladolid, 1958-1960 Rector: Pontifical Scots College, Rome, 1960-1967 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 1967-1978 Parish Priest: St Aloysius’, Chapelhall 1978-19 Died: 22nd November 1983 Buried: St Patrick’s Cemetery, New Stevenston

Canon Patrick O'Hare
PARISH PRIEST OF ST GERARD'S 1977-1984
Born: 27th March 1927 Keady Co. Antrim Education: St Patrick’s College, Carlow Ordained: 7th June 1953at Carlow College Assistant Priest: St Barbara’s, Muirhead 1953-1958 Assistant Priest: St Bride’s, Cambuslang 1958-1967 Assistant Priest: St Clare’s, Easterhouse 1967-1972 Parish Priest: St Paul’s, Hamilton 1972-1977 Parish Priest: St Gerard’s, Bellshill 1977-1984 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Salsburgh and St Catherine’s, Harthill 1977-1992 Parish Priest: St Thomas’, Wishaw 1992-2002 Retired: 2002 Died: 30th March 2016, Newry

Canon Thomas McGurk
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART 1978-1983
After his ordination in 1945, Father Thomas McGurk spent four years studying at Cambridge where he was a blue (football) and for 14 years was a professor at Blair's. He came to Bellshill in 1978 after having been the Director of Religious Education for Motherwell Diocese since 1969. During his time in Sacred Heart parish, the Saturday Vigil was introduced replacing the Sunday Evening Mass. In 1980, Fr McGurk founded, along with the Rev. Barr and others, the Bellshill Cross Centre, a drop-in centre for people with drink related problems. Sacred Heart SVDP gave financial aid to help it survive before it became state funded. Fr McGurk was Parish Priest at the time of the historic Papal Visit of 1982 and led the parish in preparation for those wonderful days and Murrayfield and Bellahouston. In 1983, Fr McGurk moved to become Parish Priest of Christ the King in his home town of Holytown and was made a Canon in 1988. Canon McGurk died on 17th May 1991 aged 69. After his Requiem Mass in Motherwell Cathedral, he was buried in St Patrick's Cemetery, New Stevenston. Fr McGurk's sister was the first head teacher of St Gerard's Primary School, Bellshill when the school opened in 1973.

Canon John Healy
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART 1983-1992
Born: 20th August 1931, Co Kerry Education: St Kieran's Kilkenny Ordained: 6th June 1954, Kilkenny. Assistant Priest: St Brigid’s, Newmains 1954-1963 Assistant Priest: St Bernadette’s Motherwell 1963-1970 Assistant Priest: Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell 1970-1975 Parish Priest: Christ the King, Holytown 1975-1983 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 1983-1992 Parish Priest: St Serf’s, Airdrie 1992-2012 Installed as Canon of the Cathedral Chapter: 2001 Retired: 2012 Died: 21st September 2019 Buried: St Joseph’s Cemetery, Airdrie

Canon Timothy Brosnan
PARISH PRIEST OF ST GERARD'S 1984-2011
Timothy Brosnan was born in Knockanimiris, Headford, Killarney, one of six children to Timothy and Hannah Brosnan. He studied for the priesthood at St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Motherwell on 2nd June 1957 in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney, by Bishop Patrick Collier of the Diocese of Ossary. His brother, Father Patrick Brosnan, also became a Priest for Motherwell Diocese and was ordained in 1953, serving in various parts of the Diocese. Father Patrick sadly died on 26th March 1995 whilst serving as Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, Coatbridge. May he rest in peace. Father Timothy Brosnan arrived in Scotland in the summer of 1957 and took up his first appointment as curate in St Mungo’s Garthamlock (1957-1960) before moving to be curate of St Margaret’s Airdrie (1960-1971). It was in 1971 that Father Brosnan came to Bellshill for his first appointment in the town, as Assistant Priest of Sacred Heart Parish (1971-1976). During his time in Sacred Heart he got to know many of the families, marry many of the couples and baptise many of the babies whom he would later serve as Parish Priest in St Gerard’s Parish. He remained in Bellshill until1976 when he moved to Chapelhall to serve as curate of St Aloysius’ Parish. In 1981, in his 24th year of the Priesthood, Father Brosnan received his first Parish Priest appointment when he was appointed to St Benedict’s, Easterhouse (1981-1984), an appointment which he spoke very fondly of for many years. On Sunday 21st October, 1984, Father Brosnan arrived in St Gerard’s Parish as he took up appointment as the new Parish Priest. This was his second appointment in Bellshill and where he was to remain for the following 27 years of his active ministry until his retirement. Continuing the work of his predecessors, Father Brosnan helped to build St Gerard’s up to be an active and thriving parish with a wonderful spiritual and devotional life. He introduced many new groups and initiatives into the parish including the Choir and Care Group. A man of great faith with a strong devotion to Our Lady, Father Brosnan encouraged parishioners to enter into a deeper relationship with Christ by fostering a greater prayer and spiritual life. Father helped to encourage this through the many prayer groups, Missions and retreats which he offered as well as the wonderful devotional life which he helped to establish and grow in the parish through daily Adoration, Rosaries, Benediction, Devotions and Novenas. Each day Father Brosnan paid a visit to St Gerard’s Primary where he would spend time in each class and was a great support to both pupils and staff. It is often commented on that he knew every single child in the school by name. Father Brosnan also had a great love for the sick, spending time each week visiting the sick and housebound parishioners of the parish at home and hospital. He also spent a few hours each day visiting the homes of parishioners with every family in the parish receiving a visit at least twice a year, something which was greatly appreciated by parishioners. And he still managed to find time to maintain his gardens which were his pride and joy and brought great pleasure to both parishioners and passers-by alike. In 2007, Father Brosnan celebrated with, no fuss, the Golden Jubilee of his Ordination. The following year, on 17th April 2008, Father Brosnan was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell, by Bishop Joseph Devine. Canon’s time in the Parish came to an end in March 2011 when he retired from active ministry due to ill health and returned home to Ireland. His time with us may have ended but his memory and legacy lives on to this day as does the love and affection which the parishioners have for him. Canon Brosnan spent 54 years in active ministry in the Diocese of Motherwell, 32 of which were spent in Bellshill and more than half of his ministry was spent in St Gerard’s Parish. Canon Brosnan was resident Our Lady of Lourdes Care Home, Kilcummin, Killarney, where he died on Tuesday 13th March 2018. His Requiem mass was celebrated on Friday 16th March in the Church of The Sacred Heart, Barraduff. May he rest n peace.

Canon Andrew Reen
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART 1992-2011
Andrew Reen was born in Kerry, Ireland and was ordained a Priest for the Diocese of Motherwell in 1953. Fr Reen arrived at Sacred Heart in 1992 from St Bride's Bothwell where he had been Parish Priest from 1984. Fr Reen initiated perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in Sacred Heart Church in October 1996, visited the homes in the parish, particularly the housebound and the lonely and each Easter & Christmas led the delivery of leaflets to all homes in the parish. The Lenten & Advent faith sharing groups and the Legion of Mary were both very close to his heart. He was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter in 1997 by Bishop Joseph Devine in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell. Canon Reen retired as Parish Priest in September 2011, moving into residence in St Gerard's Parish for over a year before returning to his native Ireland.

Father Michael Brown
PARISH PRIEST OF ST GERARD'S 2011-2013
Born: 9th January 1964, Chryston Education: St Ambrose’s High School, Coatbridge, Chesters and Scotus Colleges, Bearsden. Ordained: 24th June 1998, St Barbara’s, Muirhead Assistant Priest: St Bride’s, East Kilbride 1998-2003 Army Chaplain: 2003-2005 Assistant Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 2005-2011 Parish Priest: St Gerard’s, Bellshill 2011-2013 Parish Priest: St Brendan’s, Motherwell 2013-2019 Parish Priest: Holy Family, Mossend 2019-2024 Parish Priest: Our Lady and St Joseph’s Glenboig 2024-Present

Father Kevin McGoldrick
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART 2011-2018
PARISH PRIEST OF ST GERARD'S 2013-2018
PARISH PRIEST OF SACRED HEART & ST GERARD'S 2018-2020
Born: 24th August 1967 Education: Scotus College, Bearsden Ordained: 26th June 1999, St Columbkille’s, Rutherglen. Assistant Priest: St Thomas’, Wishaw 1999-2001 Assistant Priest: St Aidan’s Wishaw 2001-2005 Assistant Priest: Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell 2005-2011 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 2011-2018 Parish Priest: St Gerard’s, Bellshill 2013-2018 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart and St Gerard’s, Bellshill 2018-2020 Parish Priest: St Patrick’s, Coatbridge 2020-Present