Appeal to save special windows as Wigan church closes its doors

Ince St Mary’s Church was forced to shut in November due to problems with the building.

Its future remains uncertain, triggering fears for five windows installed there in memory of loved ones.

Four of the windows were placed in the church in 2013 as a tribute to Ethel Round, a stalwart member of the congregation and former headmistress of St Mary’s School.

Mrs Round, who was also a dedicated volunteer at Wigan Little Theatre, was 100 when she died in December 2010.

Money given as gifts for her 100th birthday were used to help pay for the £16,000 windows, along with funds raised by parishioners and a donation from her family.

Her daughter Caroline Buchanan, who lives in Haigh, said: “My mum would be absolutely distraught. She would be gutted and she would want to do something to save them.

“She would be upset that the church is closing, because she taught there as well for many years and that’s where she retired from.

“She would be so proud that they are there, but to have them suddenly gone after only eight years is very sad.”

Mrs Buchanan is also concerned about a window depicting scenes of Wigan, which was designed by local artist Gerald Rickards and dedicated by John and Eileen Marsden in 2003.

She has been working with Mr Rickards’ daughter Sue Rickards to do everything they can to save the window, along with those for her mother.

She said: “It’s a beautiful window. It depicts various things, such as pits, in the Wigan area.”

A spokesman for the Church of England’s Liverpool diocese said: “We can confirm that the church building is scheduled to close as it has become increasingly difficult to maintain as a functioning building. The Church of England has robust policies and procedures for dealing with this and these include working to make sure that sacred and treasured items are preserved.

“We are very aware of the importance of these windows to the family and wider community. Our hope will be we can work with the family to relocate the windows to a suitable, fitting place to preserve them for future generations.”

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here