Salford to shed half its parishes but proposals are welcomed

Up to half of the 150 parishes in the Diocese of Salford will close in the face of falling numbers of both priests and parishioners, writes Paul Wilkinson.

Bishop John Arnold says the move is part of a plan to re-establish a missionary Church with “missionary parishes”. In a report, Bishop Arnold speaks of a need for “radical” action to meet changing circumstances. His diocese, which covers 620 square miles of north-west England in and around Greater Manchester, has 150 priests, 23 of whom are older than the official retirement age of 75. The total is expected to drop to 108 by 2020.

Bishop Arnold concludes that churches must close and important decisions must be made on whether they are sold, used for community projects, or even demolished to make way for affordable housing. Also laity will be expected to take greater responsibility for parish work.
This week one well-placed official in the diocese said the proposals had been “warmly welcomed”.  He added: “People are positive about it. They like to look at themselves as mission parishes that look out to the wider community and are very inclusive.”

A diocesan spokesman said there was no “hit list” for closures and potential targets would be proposed at deanery level. The final decision will be the bishop’s.

In his report, published last week, Bishop Arnold said that any money raised by property sales would be ring-fenced for parishes. None would be spent on refurbishing his official residence, the Grade I-listed sixteenth-century Wardley Hall. He had considered not occupying the house but has now established a household there. His spokesman said: “Some 82 per cent of the thousands of responses to his consultation suggested he should live here.”