The congregation of a much-loved church has been left devastated as the venue is set to be sold off, after being closed for more than 18 months.

A bride-to-be who grew up attending St Joseph’s in Cheriton, Folkestone, has had her hopes dashed of getting married there, while a couple are disappointed their daughter’s baptism could not be performed at the church.

The place of worship has been shut since January 2023 due to its poor condition, such as a broken boiler, and scaffolding has been left at the front, erected to fix a damaged statue.

Now the Archdiocese of Southwark says amid falling parishioner numbers and significant repair costs, the Catholic church and its accompanying buildings are to be sold off.

However congregation members say they’ve been blocked out of the decision-making and were only informed in a letter which arrived last week. The diocese disputes this, arguing they have consulted with parishioners.

Mary Tillings, who has attended St Joseph’s since she was a child, is at the forefront of the fight to save St Joseph’s.

The 40-year-old told KentOnline: “We have run so many events there together. It's a community. That’s what’s important.

“For them to not even discuss it with us and just send a letter last week, which was dated the beginning of August - how dare you.

“My friend had a baby from her last round of IVF in March, and we had been praying that everything would be okay for her.

“When the baby was born, all I wanted to do was go to my church.

“I drove there and sat outside and lit a candle.

“I was so angry because I wanted to go into that building, but I couldn’t because they’d stolen it from us.”

Eight years ago, St Joseph’s Parish was merged with Our Lady in Folkestone town centre, in an attempt to keep both churches running.

But now, bosses say maintaining both buildings is financially unviable.

Members have been told they can go to Our Lady’s home in Guildhall Street, but for many it would not replace what they have lost.

The parish was previously led by Father Edmund Hartley before he died in 2022.

Mrs Tillings, a mum-of-four, added: “My priest was what I was brought up with. He was so welcoming to people of all different faiths.

“It’s just his memory is really important to us, and keeping the place alive is part of that.

“The building itself holds a lot of special memories, too - my three daughters were all christened there, and it is where I got married.”

Ms Tillings is not the only one with a deep connection to the Folkestone place of worship.

Katie Gerard also grew up attending St Joseph’s and as a teenager did the gardening for the church hall.

She said: “The parish community has rallied together through thick and thin, and we were devastated when it closed.

“I’m getting married this year and feel so sad that I can’t have my wedding in the church that I have known and loved.”

Another worshipper, Hannah Gerard, was hoping to have her baby daughter christened there.

She said: “The community who attended Sunday mass, tea & coffee afterwards in the church hall felt like extended family.

“They were people I grew up with. All of it is gone now; it's very sad.

“I wish I'd been able to have my daughter's baptism at St Joseph's. It upset me that I wasn't able to.”

A petition to save the church has gathered more than 120 signatures, and members are forming a plan to fund the repairs if the diocese agrees not to put it on the market, such as selling the presbytery, the house set aside for the resident priest.

They argue that visiting priests from Hythe could perform sermons.

Mrs Tillings said: “If it’s repairable and we are willing to fund the repairs, there is no reason to shut it down.

We want to be able to go into that building and pray in our way.

“We have a whole committee that has been able to run all the finances before, and they’ve been shut out. We can completely self-run the parish. They haven’t allowed us any kind of say.”

However, a letter sent last week to parishioners of Our Lady and St Joseph’s says the parish finance and property committee has examined how to fund the repairs, such as selling the presbytery.

But the document, signed by the Rt. Rev. Paul Hendricks, the Auxiliary Bishop for the Kent Area of Southwark, says: “We were forced to accept that, even if were were able to repair St Joseph’s, the ongoing costs of maintaining two church buildings would be far to high to be afforable, even on the most optimistic picture of possible fundraising efforts and mass numbers.”

When approached by KentOnline, an Archdiocese of Southwark spokesman said: “Having thriving parishes, which welcome and lead people to Christ is our priority.

“St Joseph’s was merged with Our Lady’s eight years ago to become a single parish and community, in an attempt to keep both churches open. However, St Joseph’s has continued to have falling numbers of worshipers.”

The spokesman continued: “The building requires significant costs to not only maintain it but also for repairs, which is why it had to close.

“The Archdiocese has consulted with parishioners, including meetings with the parish committee and parish planning group.

“The area bishop also sent a letter earlier this month to the parish, which has been widely circulated.

“Our Lady & St Joseph’s in Folkestone is continuing to thrive and that is why if the site is sold, the money raised will be reinvested into the parish so we can continue our mission to welcome and lead people to Christ.”