A HOLY row has broken out after a rebel priest opened a church in his back garden without planning permission.
Father Caleb Armour turned a 42ft-long wooden shed next to his home into a chapel where up to 37 meet for Mass on Sundays.
But angry neighbours in Cumbernauld have now asked council chiefs to order the building’s removal amid claims of parking problems and noise.
Fr Armour, a cleric in the Sedevacantist breakaway Catholic movement, says attendance at his Our Lady of Sorrows Church is by invitation only.
He revealed a separate building is an overflow room for family activities and gatherings.
But one local hit out: “How can they let someone build a chapel in their garden? Will it hold weddings and funerals?”
Fr Armour’s application to North Lanarkshire Council said daily Mass usually attracts four people, with larger gatherings just once a week.
He added: “In no way is it my intention to disturb the quiet peace of our neighbourhood.”
Officials recommended allowing the church to operate for a two-year trial.
But councillors delayed a final decision.
Leader Jim Logue said: “There are genuine concerns.”
When approached at his home, Fr Armour declined to answer questions about the row.
Instead, he advised our reporter: “Be devoted to our Lady of Sorrows.”