RUMOURS of the demise of a popular Bretton church have been grossly exaggerated – according to its vicar.Now Mrs Collins, who took over as Priest in Charge at the church in October, is hoping to put her congregation's minds at rest and let the city know it's "business as usual".
She said: "I had parishioners ringing in a right flutter saying they had seen an official notice in The Evening Telegraph saying we had been closed down.
"I managed to speak to the Register Office, who explained it referred to the Catholic church and not to us, which was a relief.
"However, we just want to spread the word that we are still here."
Interim registration manager Ruth Hodson said the Register Office, which is now part of the Identity and Passport Services, had received a couple of calls from concerned worshippers.
She said: "It is quite an unusual set-up with the church having both Anglican and Roman Catholic worship, which has possibly added to the confusion
"We handle the registrations for worship and for marriage, and the notice in the paper was following our standard procedure.
"Should a church cease worshipping at a venue, they notify us of the change in a notice signed by trustees, and, in this case, the bishop.
"The Roman Catholic Church informed us they were moving their worship and marriages to St Oswald's in Lincoln Road while retaining the Sacred Heart School as a mass centre.
"Part of the procedure is to put a notice of "disuse of worship and marriage" in the local newspaper and the London Gazette.
"I think it has wobbled people a bit who have seen it, but the notices for Church of England and Roman Catholic disuse are actually different.
"However, we can put people's minds at rest and the Church of England can still worship and hold marriages at the venue."
A relieved Mrs Collins had seen the notice as a blow to the church's plans to entice more people into getting married at the church she calls the "hidden jewel of Bretton".
She said: "The first thing that stuck me when I arrived was the beauty of the church inside. It's a wonderful place and not at all what you would expect from its entrance.
"It certainly is a hidden treasure in Bretton, and I though immediately it would make a delightful place to hold christenings or weddings."
"Anyone who is interested in spending their special occasion here can call me and I would be more than happy to accommodate them."
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(Source: GRCN)