Click here to see the videoFURIOUS parishioners have hit out at plans to close a Davyhulme church in the summer as part of an ongoing merger between two Urmston parishes.
The announcement that Our Lady of the Rosary Church would be closed on August 31 was made to shocked worshippers last week.
Instead they will have to attend nearby English Martyrs, which will serve both communities following the amalgamation of the two parishes into the new parish Our Lady and the English Martyrs.
The Diocese of Salford claim the move is necessary because of the increasing age and decreasing number of priests in the diocese. The two parishes have shared a priest for the past 18 months.
But angry parishioners from both churches who packed out two meetings last week believe the move will have a massive impact on the community.
June Connolly-Waldron who attends English Martyrs, has handed out 25 petitions around Urmston calling for the diocese to backtrack on the decision.
She said: "There were people weeping and crying at the meetings. We had had no warning. There is a need for this church, for the school children to go to and the large number of elderly people who live in the area and walk to it.
"And how is everyone going to fit into English Martyrs - it is a small church?
"This is the church for Davyhulme and it's got a great thriving family community."
Geoffrey Martin, a founding member of Our Lady's, said: "It's unbelievably stupid to close it. We've got a viable community here. We built this church, it's debt free and it's got a car park. English Martyrs is lovely but its old and small and you can't park."
Another parishioner of Our Lady's who was advised by the church not to speak to the media, asked not to be named.
She said: "I was absolutely amazed. Twenty-five years ago we were asked to buy bricks to build this building and then for them to turn round and say they're shutting it is incredible. There is a little community there and for it to just go is so sad.
"The church used to rule with fear but now they've educated us but they don't like it when we stand up and make a good argument."
A statement from the Diocese of Salford said an 18-month consultation had preceded the decision and that the Our Lady's church building would be used as a centre for the pastoral outreach and catechetical formation work of the parish.' It also confirmed the decision would not affect either affiliated primary schools.
It added: "These decisions have not been taken lightly and it had been a very difficult and painful process for all those involved but such decisions have been made in order that we might prepare fittingly for the future of the Catholic community in this area."
lroberts@messengergrp.co.uk
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