EIGHT churches in East Lancashire are now facing closure as part of the largest shake-up the area’s Roman Catholic diocese has seen for a generation.

Seven places of worship were earmarked for the axe when Salford Diocese first presented plans for a major reorganisation last summer.

An additional plan to possibly close St Charles’ Church at Rishton, which will merge with Our Lady’s in Great Harwood and St Mary’s Clayton-le-Moors has been unveiled by Bishop of Salford John Arnold.

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Father Martin Dowd, of St Charles’, said: “I have told my parishioners I want them to pray and think about what has been proposed before we discuss this further.”

Church leaders have said changes are not taking place because there is a ‘shortage of priests’ – but admit congregation numbers are not sufficient to support their work in its current form. The number of priests would drop from 42 to 21 in East Lancashire.

Bishop Arnold said: “This plan is a real chance to make changes that will help build, sustain and grow parishes fit for future generations. Not just for members of our church in Lancashire but also for the wider community we live in.”

Church closures would understandably meet with “initial sadness”, said Bishop Arnold, but he felt sure such feelings could be overcome as communities came together in prayer.

In St John Southworth deanery, covering Blackburn and Ribble Valley, the number of churches would drop from 29 to 27 or 28.

Father Leo Heakin, priest at St Mary’s Langho, which will merge with English Martyrs’, Whalley, and St Mary’s Osbaldeston parishes, said: “People have accepted this and realised that we have got to reform.”

Six parishes in Blackburn are to merge into three and two in Darwen, Sacred Heart and St Edward’s and St Joseph’s, will combine. St Mary’s and John’s Pleasington, and St John Vianney and St Peter’s in Blackburn will also unite - St Paul’s chapel of ease at Feniscowles and one further church in the larger parish may close.

Six churches would close in St John Vianney Deanery which covers Burnley, Hyndburn and Rossendale.

Father Brian Keeley, of Christ the King Burnley, which would merge with St Mary of the Assumption and St John, also in the town, said: “Our people have listened to the announcement and will now go away and consider it.”

St Veronica’s Helmshore, St Teresa’s Burnley, St Philip’s Padiham and Our Lady’s chapel of ease at Huncoat will close. And either St Augustine’s or St Mary Magdalene’s in Burnley could shut, depending on a further consultation.

Originally one of either St Mary’s and St Anselm’s, or St Joseph’s and St Peter’s in Rossendale were set to go. But now St Mary’s and St Anselm’s will remain as a single parish and St Joseph’s and St Peter’s will merge with St James the Less at Rawtenstall.

St Joseph’s at Ramsbottom, part of the Deanery of St Therese of Lisieux, will remain unaltered, it has also been confirmed.

Proposals to convert old church buildings into day centres, night shelters or community bases would be considered, according to the consultation.

Diocesan officials have said the proposals will now be implemented on a staged basis, considering how best to merge the parishes and whether all the existing buildings within them are sustainable.