St Walburge’s, Preston, to close

Protests, please, to Bishop O’Donoghue of Lancaster. This fine church, the pride of Catholic Lancashire, is of national significance.

From 'The Citizen' (Preston local paper), in part: Councillor Margaret McManus is spearheading the campaign. She condemned the proposals by the Lancaster Diocese, which could see 10 Preston churches close over the next decade.

The councillor, who represents Sharoe Green, has attended St Walburge's Church, Pedder Street, Ashton, for 30 years.

She said: "St Walburge's is the gem of the churches in Preston and we should be thinking about giving it cathedral status rather than closing it.

"It's a sin to close any church, this is our heritage. The people of Preston built and paid for these churches. "It isn't our fault that the diocese hasn't used their funds efficiently enough."

For the full story see here.

Hat-tip to Holy Smoke (Damian Thompson), where more commentary can be found.