Fr Austin Ronan, parish priest of St Joseph's, Nelson, died on November /8, aged 69 Austin Ronan was born on May 26, 1912 at Withington. Manchester. He was educated for the priesthood at St Bede's College. Manchester, end Ushaw College, Durham, and ordained priest on July 25, 1937. After two years as curate at St Joseph, Heywood. he was chaplain to H.M. Forces form 1939 to 1945, serving in North Africa and the Middle East. He returned as curate to St Joseph's, Heywood, from 1945 to 1956. He then served as curate at St Joseph's. Darwen. 1956-58. and St John's, Padiham, 1958-60, when he became parish priest of St Joseph, Nelson. He built the present church there in 1964 after the previous church had been destroyed by fire. There was a concelebrated Requiem Mass at St Joseph's Nelson. on Tuesday. November 24, Bishop Holland presided at solemn Requiem Mass in St Joseph's the following morning.
Canon John Fairciough, a retired priest of Its" Salton-I Diocese. died on October 28. 1981 at his home M Chadderton, He was 93 and the oldest priest in the Diocese. R.I.P John Fairciough was born on January 24, 1888, at Dittos, Nr. Widnes. He was educated at the Benedictine School in Douai. France, and then, when the School was forced to close following the enactment of the Associations Law by the anti-clerical Government in 1903. transferred to Woolhampton near Reading. He studied for the priesthood at Oscott College, Birmingham. and was ordained priest at St Bede's College, Manchester, on November 11. 1917. He served as curate at Corpus Christi, Hollinwood, from 1917 until 1933, when he became parish priest of St Hilda. Totlington, He served successively as parish priest at St Mary, Clayton-le-Moors. 1937-40: St Mary Magdalene, Burnley, 1940-41; and at St Peter, Middleton, from 1941 until his retirement in 1959, He continued to work as a supply priest and was appointed as honorary Canon in 1967