A MEETING is to be held to discuss the future of a Catholic church which was provisionally reopened for 12 months late last year.

St Thomas of Canterbury Church on Greenfield Road, in Dentons Green, was opened again in November 2022, having been shut for more than two and a half years since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.

The long-running closure had raised fears from parishioners over the church's future.

But the building was reopened for a provisional 12-month period from the start of Advent on November 27, last year, following a consultation.

As the end of the one-year provisional period approaches, a meeting will take place at the Greenfield Road church next Wednesday, October 18, to review progress. 

This will be held by Father Philip Inch, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Organisation and Synod Implementation at the Archdiocese of Liverpool, who led the consultation ahead of the building's reopening last year.

The St Thomas of Canterbury parish has been overseen since the church's reopening by priest Father Michael Harwood, who also has responsibilities at St Mary's Lowe House, in  the town centre, and St Julie's Church, in Eccleston.

The Greenfield Road church holds weekly Masses on Saturday evenings at 6pm. There is also a weekly Friday Mass at the church and two Masses on Holy Days of obligation.

The consultation last year heard Catholic parishes will need to work more closely together in future, amid a backdrop of decreasing priest numbers and congregations.

The archdiocese stated it may need to look to the future with "a different vision of Ministry".

In recent years, the town has seen the closures of Catholic churches St Peter & St Paul's, Haresfinch and St Patrick's in Clinkham Wood, which have seen parish provision moved to Holy Cross in the town centre. 

Parishioners are invited to attend the review meeting at St Thomas of Canterbury Church on Wednesday, October 18, starting at 7pm.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Liverpool said: “At the start of Advent 2022, St Thomas of Canterbury Church reopened for a 12-month provisional period.

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the reopening, the meeting organised for Wednesday 18 October will review the progress of the Church.

"All parishioners of St Thomas of Canterbury parish are welcome to attend.”