The parish was established from St Mary's Church, Warrington by Fr. Thomas Austin Hind O.S.B, a Warringtonian by birth, who is credited with conceiving the idea to build the church and to have chosen the dedication to St Oswald of Northumbria. On 1 July 1924, Archbishop Keating of Liverpool give permission for the formation of this, the fourth Benedictine parish in Warrington: the others being St. Albans (1755); St.Mary's (1877) and St. Benedict's (1902). The parish was served by the clergy of St Mary's Church, Warrington until it became an independent parish on 24 July 1929.[1]
The last Benedictine Parish Priest was Fr Harold Cyprian Broomfield O.S.B as the Abbot of Ampleforth Abbey surrendered the parish to the Archbishop of Liverpool on 10 September 1962. From 2013, following the death of Canon William Redmond, the parish was served by the parish priest of St Benedict's Church, Warrington.[2] On 1 May 2018, St.Oswald's became part of one new combined parish called Blessed James Bell which also incorporates the former parishes of St Mary's and St Benedict's in Warrington.[3]
In 1929 the Sisters of the Cross and Passion, part of the Passionist family, moved from Buttermarket Street in Warrington to Bruche Hall close to the church. A school, with a capacity for 200 children, was opened on 1 September 1931 which was staffed by the sisters and lay teachers. In 1971, a purpose built Convent was built and the old house demolished.[1]
