A church in Glasgow is to close for good after a fall in parishioner numbers in the wake of the pandemic.
Ruchazie Parish Church, located in the north-east of the city, will hold its final service on Sunday, May 14.
A decision is yet to be made on the future of the building, located on Elibank Street.
The forthcoming closure of the church was announced via social media on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Decision to cancel 'thriving' Catholic Mass sparks fury
A church spokesperson said: “We are really sad to announce that we will be closing Ruchazie Church after our final service on Sunday 14th May 2023. Since the pandemic we have not seen people coming back to church and so it is with real regret that we are announcing this closure.
“All hall bookings will be honoured but no new bookings will be taken until a decision has been made about the future of the building. Thank you for your support and we pray God's blessing on the community of Ruchazie in the years to come. John 12:24”.
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Commenting on the closure, Presbytery Clerk of Glasgow, Rev Dr Grant Barclay, told The Herald: “This was a bold and creative attempt by the Church of Scotland to establish a new worshipping community. Sadly the pandemic proved too much for the fledgling congregation.”
The closure comes after The Herald revealed that a parish with a ‘thriving’ traditional Latin Mass community in Glasgow has been ordered to cancel its public Masses, sparking a wave of criticism from parishioners.
The Archdiocese of Glasgow has instructed The Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Balornock area of the city to bring an end to traditional Latin Masses in the parish.
It follows a decree issued by Pope Francis in July 2021 to prevent Mass being celebrated in parish churches using the liturgy of 1962.
In a statement, Archbishop Nolan confirmed that Latin Mass will now be celebrated in St Brigid’s, Toryglen - located around six miles from The Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Balornock.
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