| Canon Barr’s arrival in the parish
cannot have been an easy one. As well as taking over from Monsignor
Thompson who for many parishioners was the only parish priest they had
known; Canon Barr had to face problems relating to the increasing shortage
of priests and the deteriorating state of the church buildings.
St Austin’s had enjoyed the privilege
of four, sometimes five priests in the past but the overall shortage of
priests in the Diocese eventually began to be reflected in the fact that
this number was cut to three and then to two. With only one curate
to assist him, Canon Barr found himself hard pressed to cover the many
different areas of the parish. The chapels of ease at Outwood and
Stanley had to close, a logical yet unpopular move, but even this can only
have partially eased the increasing pressures on the clergy.
The church buildings had been largely
neglected since the last refurbishment of the late 1950’s. Furthermore
when investigations were carried out it appeared that many earlier restorations
and redecorations had simply papered over problems and left them for future
generations to deal with. The Lady Chapel in particular was in danger
of substantial damage due to its apparent lack of foundations. A programme
of restorations was required. |
May Procession 1986
Courtesy - Wakefield Express
|
