Our Lady of Good Counsel, Rushey Mead, Leicester

Published 11th of September 2019

Gleneagles Avenue, Rushey Mead, Leicester LE4 7ZB

Deanery of Leicester

Clergy: Rev. Mgr. J. Lally, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Abbem (assistant priest), Rev. Mr. W. Myers (deacon), Rev. Mr. S. O'Looskan (deacon).

Telephone contact: 0116 266 1621.

E-mail contact: ourladysgoodcounselchurch@gmail.com.

Mass timings: Saturday, 18.00; Sunday, 10.15; Holy days, 9.00, 19.00.

Confessions: before the Saturday evening Mass.

Chairman of the pastoral council: Mrs. Catherine Cardoza.

Safeguarding representative: Mrs. Joanita Fernandez.

History: Following the expansion of the city of Leicester towards the Belgrave area after the first World War, a new church was built to replace old S. Patrick's. A plot of land off Canon Street was purchased in 1920 and a brick building erected and then blessed by Mgr. Dunn, the fifth Bishop, on the 22nd of August, 1922. This building was intended to be eventually succeeded by a worthier structure, when it would become the parish hall. Father Holland of S. Patrick's bought a suitable house and moved over in 1920, becoming the first parish priest of OL of Good Counsel; S. Patrick's schools were moved over to the Harrison Road in 1936. Old S. Patrick's became a chapel-of-ease, until it was closed in 1940 (new S. Patrick's appeared in the 50s, on the Beaumont Leys estate). Our Lady of Good Counsel was not to remain on its original site; Canon McReavy obtained the present site in the Rushey Mead and a new church, presbytery and parish hall complex was opened for use in 1975. In recent years, OL of Good Counsel has become a focus in Leicester for the Divine Mercy devotions.

Source: Canon A. P. Dolan, Good News for the East Midlands: an account of the background to, and the story of, the Diocese of Nottingham, Tucann Books, 2018, pp. 154-5.