Historical Timeline of Priests

Fr. Thomas Kavanagh (1894–1910s): The revered founding pioneer of the parish. He arrived in 1894 to serve the rapidly growing mining community, oversaw the acquisition of the Wadworth Street land, and successfully guided the construction and opening of St Alban’s in 1898.

Fr. Bailey (1920s): An influential early industrial-era priest who recognized the growing needs of local families and spearheaded the successful push to establish and open St Alban’s Catholic Primary School in 1926.

Fr. John Holohan (Mid-20th Century): The first “Father John” to govern the parish. He led St Alban’s during its absolute peak population era, managing a massive congregation of mining families alongside curates like Fr. C. Lehane. During his tenure, the pastoral load was so immense that multiple resident priests lived in the presbytery simultaneously.

Fr. James Reginald Stack (Mid-20th Century): Actively managed the busy parish during a post-war era of intense community growth, balancing pastoral duties at Denaby Main alongside serving the neighboring Catholic community in Mexborough.

Monsignor Donal Bambury (1980s): A legendary former army chaplain who lived at the presbytery and became an absolute pillar of strength for the local community during the incredibly difficult 1984/85 miners’ strike and the subsequent closure of the local pits.

Fr. Bill Bergin (Late 1990s–2012): Served the parish faithfully for over a decade. He was deeply loved by the community and cemented the enduring tradition of holding annual joint memorial services to honor the local mining legacy.

Fr. Craig Fitzpatrick (2012–2014): Served a focused tenure as Parish Priest at Denaby Main, guiding the church through vital structural maintenance before eventually moving to St William of York in Sheffield.

Fr. John Cooke (2014–2015): Arrived in late 2014 as the modern “second” Father John. He brought great warmth to the parish community and worked closely alongside local organizations before his subsequent transfer.

Fr. Desmond Edozie (2015–2025): Actively led the parish for a decade, guiding the community through its landmark 120th and 125th anniversaries. He worked closely with local heritage groups to keep the village’s identity tightly woven into church life.

Fr. Augustine Nwaiwu (October 2025–Present): The current resident Parish Priest, warmly welcomed by the Denaby community to carry Fr. Kavanagh’s 120+ year lineage into its next chapter.