The community of St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cheriton, Folkestone, is fighting to prevent their beloved church from being sold after its closure 18 months ago. A petition calling for the reopening of the church has gained over 250 signatures since it was launched last week.
Mary Tilling, who organised the petition, expressed on BBC Radio Kent the church’s importance, stating it had a “loving, growing community.” She described the potential sale as an “utter loss,” declaring that she would refuse to attend any other church if St Joseph’s were to be sold.
The Archdiocese of Southwark, however, has highlighted that the church building requires “significant costs” for maintenance, and a decline in the number of worshippers has made it unsustainable to keep open. St Joseph’s had been merged with Our Lady and St Joseph’s in Folkestone eight years ago to maintain both sites, but despite these efforts, the future of the church building is in jeopardy.
Long-term parishioner Margaret Irving, who has attended services at St Joseph’s since moving from London in 1968, emphasised the crucial role the church plays in the community. She remarked, “Selling the church would mean taking the life of the community away.” She fondly recalled how the church provided a safe space for the elderly, offering them meals and a sense of belonging without judgment.
The Archdiocese spokesperson reiterated that while St Joseph’s faces “falling numbers of worshippers and the building requires significant costs,” the other local church, Our Lady and St Joseph’s in Folkestone, is flourishing. Should St Joseph’s be sold, the Archdiocese assures that the proceeds will be reinvested into the parish.
Local parishioners remain determined in their campaign to reopen St Joseph’s, fearing that the loss of the church would deeply affect the community’s fabric and history.