A NEW Catholic church for the people of Aberystwyth and the surrounding area has opened in Penparcau.

The renovated Church of the Welsh Martyrs in Piercefield Lane will be officially dedicated at 6pm on 25 October.

It is the official feast day of the six Welsh martyrs it is named after - St Richard Gwyn, St John Jones, St John Roberts, St Philip Evans, St John Lloyd and St David Lewis.

A minibus service has already started between Aberystwyth and Penparcau to help parishioners without cars to get to Mass on Sundays.

Bishop Thomas Burns says on the church website: “We pray that the Church of the Welsh Martyrs at Penparcau will become a beacon of hope for the future, a focus for our prayer and worship, and a fitting place for baptisms, weddings and funerals.

“That long-awaited and opportune time has dawned on our parish.”

The Catholic community has been left without a permanent home in which to worship since the decision was taken to close St Winefride’s in Queen’s Road on safety grounds in 2012.

A row erupted between parishioners who argued that 175-year-old St Winefride’s should be renovated and those who backed the diocese decision to refurbish the church in Penparcau, which has been lying empty since 2008.

Mike Maloney, one of the parishioners who opposed the move to Penparcau, said: “Ten years ago the parish of Aberystwyth had three churches (St Winefride’s, Welsh Martyrs and Our Lady Star of the Sea at Borth) and around £250,000 in the bank.

“Now it has one church, Welsh Martyrs, which has been refurbished at a cost (so the bishop tells us) of £360,000 and in addition over £200,000 has been spent purchasing Bryn Hyfryd for use as a presbytery."

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