CATHOLIC churches across Bolton could be forced to close or merge after the Bishop of Salford announced plans set to cut the number of parishes in the diocese by half.

The Bishop of Salford, John Arnold, has said the church plans to reduce the number of parishes from 150 to 75, as a result of falling attendance and a shortage of priests.

There are currently 150 priests across the Diocese of Salford, which covers Bolton, Bury and much of Greater Manchester, but with retirements that number is predicted to fall to 108 by 2020.

Priests have already become responsible for multiple parishes and parishes have also merged, such as St Peter and St Paul’s in Bolton which was closed and subsumed and merged with nearby parishes St William of York, St Edmund, St Patrick and St Ethelbert.

The Grade II listed church of St Gregory in Farnworth will be demolished, after Bolton Council granted permission for a children's play area run by the school to be built in its place.

Decisions on closures will be taken by the Bishop, but priests will decide which parishes are viable and which are not.

In a report, the Bishop said: "I appreciate that people grow fond of their local church and indeed there are many Catholics attending the newer churches who were responsible for financing and building them.

"It will be very difficult, even emotionally demanding, to see some of these churches close — but some must be closed if we are to be serious in re-establishing ourselves as a missionary Church with “missionary parishes."

He added: "The Catholic population has dispersed and declined and it must be acknowledged that there are many Catholics who do not now attend mass and other church services.

"As a consequence, we have many churches with small communities that have become unviable in terms of outreach and apostolate and even in financial terms."

A meeting of all clergy across the diocese will be held in February to consider the proposals.

Father John Dale, the parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Gregory in Farnworth, said: "I welcome all of this. I think it is very much needed, it is about how we make the church fit for purpose in the modern age.

"It is recognising that we can't do everything we used to do, and that we have got to do things differently."

Tonge with the Haulgh Cllr Martin Donaghy, who attends St Edmunds church in Bolton, said the plans were a sign of the times.

He said: "I think its sad that some of the churches have to be closed, but unfortunately it's a fact of life that we have dwindling congregations and fewer people going into the priesthood.

"People have an attachment to the buildings because they might have got married there or had christenings there, but we live in a changing world and people are going to have to adjust to the changes."

The Bishop said that the church will also have to rely more on lay members of the church in future.

Catholic churches in Bolton which fall under the Diocese of Salford include:

St Mary, Horwich

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Westhoughton

St James the Great, Monserrat

St Thomas of Canterbury, Heaton

St Ethelbert, Deane

St Vincent De Paul, Over Hulton

Holy Infant and Saint Anthony, Astley Bridge

St Joseph, Halliwell

St Edmund, Bolton

St Patrick, Bolton

St William of York, Great Lever

Our Lady of Lourdes, Farnworth

Lancashire Martyrs, Little Hulton

St Edmund, Little Hulton

Christ the King, Walkden

St John Fisher, Kearsley

St Gregory, Farnworth

Our Lady of Lourdes, Farnworth

St Teresa, Little Lever

St Osmund, Breightmet

St Brendan, Harwood

St John, Bromley Cross

St Columba, Tonge Moor