It’s been a pub not a club

Published: 23 June, 2011

• IN response to the article regarding plans for the Parish Hall at St Aloysius (Priest booed as he bids to close a bar, June 16), I would like to point out that regardless of the sign that the previous parish priest allowed to be displayed outside of church hall, claiming it to be a “social club”, it is not.

To be a social club there has to be a committee and members and it has neither.

When the bar was created in the space, it was run by the parish for the parish. However, the previous parish priest held just one parish meeting, to tell people that the bar was being taken over by private landlords and taken out of parish hands. 

So it is to all intents and purposes it is a pub and not a social club.

In recent years most of the pubs in Somers Town have been closing one by one, and I am sure that none of these people protesting at the bar closure in our parish hall contacted the breweries to protest. So why do they think they can treat the parish priest like this?

I am one of many who will be pleased to see a return to a parish hall that can be used by everyone and not just people who want cheap beer in a run-down, delapidated bar.

PATRICIA HARRIS
Hampstead Road, NW1

Parish hall taken over

• I WRITE in reply to a disgraceful article in the New Journal and wish to set straight some of the facts.

Father Michael O’Boy was appointed to St Aloysius parish in January by Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Westminster and not the Bishop of London (who is indeed an Anglican) as quoted in the article.

The meeting referred to was a parish meeting to which all parishoners were invited.  

The parishoners who attended were there to listen to what Fr Michael had to say and to explore and understand the changes that are to take place. Unforntunately, the “hecklers” at the back of the hall were merely pub users (a bar is currently located at the back of the hall) and have no interest in anything to do with parish life or the community other than to use the pub facility. 

Indeed the majority of the people protesting at the meeting do not attend any masses at the church)?

The proposed changes are intended to put some heart back in to a Catholic community which is currently lacking, due to the parish hall being taken over by a “pub” more than 20 years ago.

I have lived and worked in this parish all my life with many others that have now passed away and we were all very proud to have been part of the process under the guidance of a much loved parish priest, Canon Arthur Welland, whose vision it was to build a new church and parish hall in which all parishoners would have a decent place to hold meetings and social occasions, of which we had many.

In the short time that Fr Michael has been with us at St Aloysius, he has proved that he is a good and dedicated priest and does not deserve to be treated in such a disgraceful and disrespectful way.

MARY TOOMEY
Eversholt Street, NW1

Archbishop!

• IN your article (Priest booed as he bids to close a bar, June 16)  you refer to the priest, Father Michael O’Boy, as “sent by the Bishop of London to take over a Catholic church…”.

This is incorrect terminology as the Bishop of London is currently the Rt Revd & Rt Hon Richard Chartres of the Church of England. 

The Restoration Act of the 19th century did not allow for a Catholic Diocese of London. Instead the Archdiocese of Westminster and the Archdiocese of Southwark came into being. The correct terminology in the article about Father Michael O’Boy should read “sent by the Archbishop of Westminster to take over a Catholic church”.

MARGARET HARVEY
Camden Mews, NW1