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UK News

Residents against new church on 'Holy Island'

by Aaron James

Concerns were raised after Community of Aidan and Hilda, a Christian group affiliated with the two Celtic saints, applied to build a chapel at Open Gate.

Local residents Lesley and Roger Andrews have produced fliers featuring Open Gate with the words "A church too many?".

Mrs Andrews says Holy Island is "holy in name but not in nature," according to The Daily Telegraph.

"We are a secular community. There are people who go to church. We are not all agnostic or atheist but we are secular.

"This building would change the character of the village as seen by over half a million visitors who come here each year", she added.

Three churches serve around 200 people who live on Lindisfarne. The island's regarded by many as a Christian pilgrimage in the UK, because of St Aidan and St Cuthbert.

St Aidan is credited with restoring Christianity to a large part of northern England and Scotland in fifth and sixth centuries, while St Cuthbert is the patron saint of Northern England.

The Lindisfarne Gospels, an ornately decorated copy of the accounts of Jesus' disciples which are now kept in the British Library, also come from the island.

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