A new church is badly wanted here; in no part of the town is a large place of worship so much required; but nothing can be done in the matter until the times mend.  A plot of land has been secured for a church on the western side of the present improvised chapel, and close to the house occupied by the priests in charge of the mission; but until money can be found, or subscribed, or borrowed without interest, it will have to remain as at present.

The first priest at St. Joseph’s was the Rev. R. Taylor; then came the Rev. R. Kennedy; next the Rev. W. H. Bradshaw, who was succeeded by the Revs.  J. Walmsley and J. Parkinson—­the priests now at the place.  Father Walmsley, the superior, who originally came from Brindle, is a placid, studious-looking, even-tempered gentleman.  He is slender, but wirey; is inclined to be tall, and has got on some distance with the work.  He is thoughtful, but there is much sly humour in him; he is cautious but free when aired a little.  He knows more than many would give him credit for; whilst naturally reticent and cool he is by no means dull; he is shrewd and far-seeing but calm and unassuming; and though evenly balanced in disposition be would manifest a crushing temper if roughly pulled by the ears.  His first mission was at the Church of the English Martyrs in this town; then he went to Wigan, and after staying there for a time he landed at St. Joseph’s.  Father Parkinson is a native of the Fylde, and he has got much of the warm healthy blood of that district in his veins.  He has a smart, gentlemanly figure; has a sharp, beaming, rubicund face; has buoyant spirits, and likes a good stiff tale; is full of life, and has an eye in his head as sharp as a hawk’s; has a hot temper—­a rather dignified irascible disposition; believes in sarcasm, in keen cutting hits; can scold beautifully; knows what he is about; has a “young-man-from-the-country-but-you-don’t-get-over-me” look; is a hard worker, a careful thinker, and considers that this world as well as the next ought to be enjoyed.  He began his clerical career at Lancaster in 1864; attended the asylum whilst at that town; afterwards had charge of a workhouse at Liverpool; is now Catholic chaplain of Preston House of Correction, and fills up his spare time by labouring in St. Joseph’s district.  Either the House of Correction or the poor mission he is stationed at agrees with him, for he has a sparkling countenance, and seems to be thriving at a genial pace.  Both Father Walmsley and Father Parkinson have been in Spain; they were, in fact, educated there.  Both labour hard and mutually; consoling each other in hours of trial, tickling one another in moments of ecstacy, and making matters generally agreeable.  The schools attached to St. Joseph’s are in a good condition.  They are well attended, are a great boon to the district, and reflect credit upon those who conduct them.  All the district wants is a new church, and when one gets built we shall all be better off, for a brighter day with full work and full wages will then have dawned.