On Tuesday, February 8th, the Sunderland Echo ran this story about the happenings at Ushaw College.
Question mark over
closure of training college
In October it was announced that the 200-year-old Roman Catholic College would close, but the board of trustees now say they are working with potential partners to safeguard the future of the historic estate.
A special task group, supported by eminent church officials and charities, has been formed in a bid to keep the college, on the outskirts of Durham City, open past its scheduled closure this summer.
The 200-year-old Roman Catholic college is home to St Cuthbert’s Seminary, where priests have trained since its foundation more than 400 years ago in France.
But last year, church leaders revealed a drop in numbers of priests training at the college meant it was no longer viable and would shut this June.
Despite all commercial activities ending at the college in December campaigners persisted in trying to find alternative uses for the college.
An online petition against the closure saw more than 1,000 people sign up to stop the closure.
A steering group has now been tasked with looking strategically at the historic estate’s buildings, libraries, archives and collections.
A spokesman for the board of trustees, said: “While there are proposals to be discussed, no firm solutions are available at this time."
It appears that the next meeting of the steering group of the Trustees is to be held on Thursday, February 17th, and that they will consider proposals put forward by business people who believe that they can preserve the buildings of the College. I understand that the Trustees themselves have decided to retain control of the chapel areas and the Big Library, but other sections of the College are up for individual suggestions. I have heard of one proposal for a part of the buildings and I hear rumours that there are to be others.
I hope that in a short while we shall know much more about what is going on as regards the future of the College which trained me and many more Catholics, both clerical and lay, throughout the country.
It was a rather vague statemen - I want to believe it means what the paper says, and it is the plainest meaning of what was said, but experience is whispering maliciously "they're just saying that to get people off their backs".
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