Last rites read to East End church by Bishop
THE doors to an East End church have closed for the final time. St Clare’s Church was read its last rites on Sunday after bosses in the Motherwell Diocese told parishioners it would not be able to afford repairs on the building.
The place of worship has been effectively used as a wing to St John Bosco’s Church, which opened in 2016 following Benedict’s.
Now, all parishioners will move permanently to the Westerhouse Road building.
In a letter Bishop Joseph Toal sent to members earlier this week, he explained it had become increasingly difficult to maintain both St Clare’s and St Benedict’s.
Bishop Toal wrote: “When St Benedict’s and St Clare’s formed the one parish of St John Bosco’s, we kept both churches open, pro a merger with
St viding the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and other services and social events in both locations.
“This has become increasingly difficult, particularly in regard to St Clare’s, where a number of significant repairs are necessary, most notably the replacement of the heating system in the church as it has been condemned as unsafe for further use.
“The parish does not have the financial resources to carry out these repairs and I have reached the conclusion that the decision be made to close St Clare’s and concentrate on maintaining St Benedict’s, which benefited from a full and costly renovation in more recent times.”
St Clare’s, in Drumlanrig Avenue, was opened in 1965 and has welcomed thousands of worshippers through its doors in the last 55 years.
Bishop Toal added: “I realise this is sad news for many people and I have been reluctant to take this step.”