A PRIEST who heads a branch of the Catholic church has told members of an Anglo-Catholic congregation they face an individual choice whether to defect.

Father Keith Newton, a former Anglican bishop who was ordained as a Catholic priest last month to head the Ordinariate, today addressed worshippers from St James the Great, Darlington, about plans to convert.

Its priest Father Ian Grieves has already publicly declared plans to leave the Anglo-Catholic church to join the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

He expected “most” of the congregation would support the plans. However, the future of the church and its buildings remains unsure.

The church held its regular Sunday solemn mass at 10am, which included a sermon from Fr Newton, during which he spoke about choices.

Although it is one of the smallest parishes in the town, the numbers present were swelled to more than 200.

* Read the full story in Monday's Northern Echo.