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Worshippers at the church are being invited to a meeting on Sunday, November 4 as part of a review which could mean the closure of some churches or a cut in the number of priests in the diocese.

A review is being conducted by RC Bishop Terance Brain who is consulting with parishes through the 'Faith in tahe City' initiative which aims to assess where the church should focus its resources.

The review has been called in response to a fall in vocations which have meant a lack of ordained priests to serve parishes and a fall in attendance at some churches due to population shifts.

Some Roman Catholic churches have been struggling as families have moved out of inner-city area to the suburbs leaving pews vacant and coffers empty.

Other north Manchester churches have found their catchment areas, previously occupied largely by Roman Catholic populations, now more likely to house people of other faiths.

The Roman Catholic Church has also suffered from a drop in attendance by its own members and is trying to find a way to draw people back to the faith or to deal with the decline.

Earlier this year parishioners were invited to fill in a questionnaire giving their views on how parishes should be run. The latest meeting is the second phase of the consultation.

St Anne's Parish Priest, Fr John Mackie, said: "We are now in the next stage when each parish is asked to look at itself and assess its strengths and weaknesses.

"The results of our meeting and similar meetings across the diocese will be collated ? and will eventually influence decisions which may well affect us all."