It was founded in 1848, built in 1926 and designed by the architectural firm of Hill, Sandy & Norris of Manchester, who were also behind the construction of St John the Baptist Church in Rochdale.

In December 2000 the church suffered an arson attack which gutted the building; it was rebuilt in 2004.

The firm behind the construction of the church was John Boland of Blackburn, and the building cost £20,000.

That year a building housing a church and school was built on Paradise Street.

In 1869, this church was extended by adding a new sanctuary, mortuary chapel, aisle and baptistry.

It cost an estimated £20,000, had a capacity of 800 people and was designed by the Hill, Sandy & Norris architectural firm.

The next priest for the church, Fr Thomas Henshaw, became the Bishop of Salford after a few months.

Over the course of the next two years, the interior was added to with the installation of side altars dedicated to the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Virgin Mary, altar rails, a sanctuary lamp, marble pulpit, organ and baptismal font.

A campaign was started with the aim of raising £600,000 to repair the church and reduce it in size, so that it could accommodate two hundred people.

On 5 May 1900, the foundation stone of Sacred Heart Church was laid by the Bishop of Salford, John Bilsborrow.

On 15 October 1937, the foundation stone of the present Sacred Heart Church was laid by Bishop Henshaw.