Parishioners have been fighting to save the church, owned by Ampleforth Abbey. Archbishop of Liverpool John Sherrington has told them he has no priest available to serve at Brindle St Joseph, Hoghton, near Preston.
In a letter read out at Mass on 3 January, he proposed that pastoral care be provided at a neighbouring church, St Bede’s, Clayton Green.
Ampleforth Abbey which withdrew its priest last Autumn and now intends to take back the church and surrounding properties. The church has associations with the Jesuit martyr St Edmund Arrowsmith (1585-1628) and is Grade II listed.
The parish’s transition group is calling for Archbishop of Liverpool John Sherrington to consider further their suggestions for keeping the church open. These include the offer of a priest from the Holy Family Fathers and the Brothers of Youth, a Nigerian congregation with priests serving at a parish in Preston.
Archbishop Sherrington attended a meeting with parishioners which Bren Cook, a member of the transition group, said had not resolved the issues to the satisfaction of those present.
Mr Cook told The Tablet that many parishioners were angry and were left with the sense that “they just want to close churches as a process of managed decline”. He said discussions and planning regarding Brindle St Joseph should have begun five years ago. Quoting Liverpool’s own pastoral plan, he added, “I’m sure we would have come up with solutions that were ‘bold and creative’.”
Archbishop Sherrington said in a statement after the meeting, “I wanted to express my gratitude to the parishioners and local community of the parish of Saint Joseph at Hoghton/Brindle who submitted their views regarding the consultation concerning the pastoral and spiritual provision for the parish.
“As previously mentioned in this process, enabling parishioners to communicate their own views is an essential part of the consultation.
“The consultation has concluded, we have received over 40 submissions which will be carefully read and considered. Prior to the formulation of any decision, I will consult once more with the Council of Priests and provide a further update as soon as I am in a position to do so.” Around 120 people attend the weekly Mass at St Joseph’s and there were 225 on Christmas Day.
Ampleforth announced in 2011 that Dom Raphael Jones OSB would be the last of their priests to serve at the church. He left at the end of October 2025 and the Dean of Lancashire, Fr Graeme Dunne, was appointed by the archbishop to conduct a consultation about the church’s future and celebrate a weekly Mass.
As well as the church, Ampleforth owns a hall, presbytery, several cottages and the graveyard. The Benedictines granted a licence which allows the church and a meeting room in the presbytery to be used until the end of January.
In a recent statement, Ampleforth Abbey Trust said: “The proposal under consideration is that the church at Brindle will cease to be a place of worship, with sacramental and pastoral provision at St Bede’s, Clayton Green. The trustees of Ampleforth Abbey Trust, who own the Brindle properties, await the outcome of the archdiocesan consultation and will continue to engage in open dialogue with everyone involved to explore positive ways in which the local community can continue to benefit from the use of important facilities, especially the cemetery and parish hall. If the Archdiocese of Liverpool decides that the church ceases to be an active place of worship, then the Ampleforth Abbey trustees will ensure compliance with all the necessary canonical and civil procedures relating to such an eventuality.”
In an earlier statement, Archbishop Sherrington said, “I was grateful that Dom Raphael’s departure was postponed until 31 October 2025. I was pleased to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving with the Abbot, marking the end of more than three and a half centuries of Benedictine ministry in the area, a few days before his departure.
“The archdiocese remains indebted to the Monastic Community at Ampleforth for its service and dedication. The decisions made by the community have been carefully formulated and are the product of a good deal of extended discernment over a period of years.
“The withdrawal of the Ampleforth community gave rise to expressions of concern from the parish and wider community. In the past months, there have been various forms of consultation which are necessary to comply with both Canon and Civil Law.
“Upon the departure of Dom. Raphael, I appointed the Rev. Fr. Graeme Dunne (in his capacity as Dean) to act as the Parochial Administrator with responsibility for the pastoral and spiritual care of the community. Since then, weekly Holy Mass has continued and baptisms and funerals have also been arranged. I give thanks for the generosity of local clergy for enabling continual pastoral provision for the parish.
“On Saturday 3 January, parishioners were informed of a proposal for the parish priest of St. Bede’s, Clayton Green, to assume the pastoral care of the people of St. Joseph’s; with all liturgical and sacramental celebrations to be conducted at St. Bede’s.
“We welcome participation of parishioners in the consultation, and they can communicate with the archdiocese regarding this until Thursday 22 January.
“It would not be appropriate for me as the Archbishop, to participate in any media interviews whilst the consultation period is continuing and, indeed, in advance of listening and responding to the matters raised in this process.
“Any plans devised following the consultation need to be viable and sustainable for the future needs of the parish as part of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan.
“In relation to property related matters, which are in the ownership of the Ampleforth Abbey Trust, the decisions to be made by Archdiocesan Trustees require them to exercise their own independent judgment around the management and administration of the resources available to the diocese as a whole.”