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Historic Church Faces Closure: Parishioners Fight Back
20 Jan
Summary
- Nearly 200 people attended a meeting to save the historical St Joseph's Church.
- The church, run by Benedictine monks since the 1700s, may close service by end of January.
- Parishioners rejected a proposed merger with a neighboring church.
A passionate meeting saw nearly 200 attendees unite to prevent the closure of St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in central Lancashire. This historic church has been under Benedictine monastic care since the 1700s.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool has taken over parish responsibilities, but Archbishop John Sherrington announced that services at St Joseph's must cease by the end of January due to insufficient priestly staffing.
Archbishop Sherrington's proposal for a merger with St Bede's Church in Clayton Green was met with unanimous opposition from parishioners. Bren Cook, part of a transitional group, noted the Archbishop's surprise at the "100% disagreement."
