The end of shipbuilding in Portsmouth announced last week is "a cause of great sorrow for the whole city and surrounding region" the Bishop of Portsmouth, Philip Egan said.
Up to 940 jobs at the shipyard will be lost under the closure plans announced by its owners, BAE.
In a statement issued last Friday Bishop Egan said: "My prayers and sympathy are with those most directly affected, for whom the next few weeks will be a time of great worry and uncertainty. It will be important for the whole community to pull together in solidarity with these, our neighbours, friends and families, to ensure that hardship is avoided and the necessity and dignity of new work can be found.
"The loss of such an historic part of the life of the city and region will leave many bewildered and lost. The Catholic community stands ready to work with other Christians and people of goodwill to do whatever it can to help, to bind up the wounds and restore the resilience of the city and surrounding areas."
A survey last year by civic and business leaders predicted that closure of the yard would cost up to 4,000 jobs across the region.
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