A MUSICAL priest will have crowds rocking in the aisles when brings he his show to a Preston church.

Father Francis Maple, famous for his rendition of The Old Rugged Cross, will come to St Walburge's Church for a 'gig' on October 13.

The funky father has been to Preston before to entertain shoppers at St George's centre with his lively renditions of hymns and popular songs.

But, for his forthcoming visit, Father Francis is planning a one-and-a-half hour performance at the historic Weston Street church.

"I don't know what I'm going to sing yet but I'm really looking forward to going back to Preston," said the Catholic priest, who lives in Chester.

"I always wait until I see what type of audience I have. If it's an old audience then I'll probably do some songs from the shows but if they're younger then I might do a bit of Abba.

"The Old Rugged Cross is always popular but I sing lots of different types of music so I'll just decide on the day what to play."

St Walburge's parish priest Father John Gibson is a big fan. He said: "He's a very gentle man and a born entertainer and I'm delighted he's coming to St Walburge's. I have some of his discs and we're really looking forward to his visit."