THE new £1.4m pastoral centre at St Peter’s RC church in Winchester has been officially opened.
It was attended by two bishops, the Dean of Winchester Cathedral, and also the city’s mayor and mayoress.
Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth blessed the building in Jewry Street and unveiled the dedication plaque.
He was joined by scores of parishioners and Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton, who used to be a Winchester parish priest.
Canon Paul Townsend, who is the priest at St Peter’s, was also there along with Dean of Winchester, The Very Rev James Atwell.
Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Frank Pearson, was joined by his wife, Anne, in planting a rosebush to mark the occasion.
The pastoral centre was designed by Sue Masser and built by Feltham Construction of Newbury.
It has replaced a 1960s building and will be available for community groups to hire.
The opening ceremony took place on Friday, May 25.
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