Latest news with #churchclosure
CBC
19-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Wellington residents sad but optimistic over closure of P.E.I. community's historic church
A historic church in western Prince Edward Island's Évangéline Region has closed its doors after more than 130 years. Wellington United Church has been sold to a new owner, though it's not clear what their plan is for the building. People in the community said there were only about 10 regular members of the parish left, and that wasn't enough to keep the church going. "Sad that we had to come to that agreement," said former church member Christine Arsenault of the decision to sell. "It's just a part of Wellington history." Arsenault got married in the church, and attended many funerals and baptisms there over the years. "The church was full back then," she said. "It had a lot of families." Declining numbers Arsenault was part of the team that looked into selling the church. She said the decision was just a matter of time, as the number of regular members continued to decline. "The nail in the coffin was when the furnace broke down," she said. "We had to take a hard look at the finances and how many people were donating to the church and sitting in the pews." Wellington Mayor Irene MacCaull regularly attended services at the church, but she could also see its closure was inevitable. "As the older members passed on, a lot of the children didn't live in the community anymore," she said. "They lived in Summerside or outside the area so that's where they would go, in their own community rather than here." What comes next? MacCaull doesn't want to see the church torn down, and hopes it can still be put to good use. "I'd just like to see it kept neat and tidy," she said. "If apartments are made, that would be great because that means more people would be able to come to the area and the building would still be used." The rural municipality's chief administrator, Jean-Pierre Arsenault, said at least two apartments could fit inside the church, but some fixes to the sewer system and foundation may be needed. The new owner plans to arrive this summer to possibly start work on the building.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Preston parishioners hope to stop Brindle St Joseph's RC Church closure
A group of parishioners who have begun a fight to save their historical church from closure have said they are "a network that is dependent on each other". Brindle St Joseph's RC Church in Preston is set to close at the end of August after Ampleforth Abbey in Yorkshire - which has run the church for the last 350 years - announced it would recall its staff. The Abbey said the decision had been due to "manpower" because of a declining number of priests and it had handed the running of the parish to the Archdiocese of Liverpool, who had decided it could not take it on. Parishioner Bren Cooke said the closure announcement was "like everyone in the congregation had been slapped". Mr Cooke told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It's not just a parish, it's a community.""It's a group of people who know each other," he added. Another of the congregation, Mick Gardener, said: "Our complaint is we weren't given a chance to come up with alternatives, and there are alternatives. "It's a really complicated web of activity around here - there's the church, the parish hall, there's people living out there."It's a network that is dependent on each other."The church had been a site of continuous worship since 1721, he added. Mr Gardener said the parishioners were pushing for a "proper dialogue" with the Abbey and the Archdiocese. "Normally churches do have a period of consultation, we've not had that," he said. However, secretary for the Ampleforth Abbey Trust Liam Kelly said parishioners had been told in 2011 that the parish priest would be the last one the Abbey could provide. "The reality is personnel, manpower - the number of priests is declining," he said. "We do not have people to staff, to manage these parishes."We need monks at Ampleforth Abbey."Suzanne Roberts, who has been teaching dance classes at the church's associated hall for 43 years, said its closure could have an impact on the mental health of the community. She said the hall, which also hosts classes like karate, "provides a happy and safe place for youth to go". Ms Roberts said her dance students were "absolutely devastated".Mr Kelly said the next step would be "a discussion between the Abbey and the Archbishop of Liverpool", but that could not happen until after the new Archbishop was installed on 27 May. "Really, we all share the same goal which is seeking sustainable, feasible, realistic pastoral provision for the people of St Joseph's Brindle." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
