Madam,

Given the length and complexity of the struggle surrounding St Winefride’s Catholic Church in Aberystwyth, Catherine Pepinster had no easy task on her hands in her account of the present situation.

If, however, one looks deeper beneath the surface, some further points may be addressed.

Why, for instance, have Bishop Burns and his trustees of the Menevia diocese repeatedly refused to hold a survey of the church to ascertain its true condition? What if the building is structurally sound after all?

However, it should also be borne in mind that, being in the centre of Aberystwyth, it stands on prime land and might, should it remain empty for long enough, qualify for demolition, thus paving the way for profitable housing development.

Bishop Burns is reported as stating, regarding the rapid turnover of five priests in nine years, that ‘no other parish comes close to this experience’.

Yet two of these, both excellent parish priests who had settled in well here, were removed by the bishop himself for disagreeing with his views on the church.

These are just two examples. In the meantime, the bishop may well appeal to all for reconciliation and to move forward together in healing old grievances’ but peace cannot be separated from justice.

Yours etc,

I Daniel, Waunfawr, Aberystwyth.

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