214 A HISTORY OF LONGRIDGE. [Chap. 9. 



" ST. Michael's, geimsaegh, near pbeston. 



"Some of our Lancasliire readers will be interested in learning of 

 the progress that Catholic teaching is making in this district. Two 

 years ago, before the coming of the present vicar, the Rev. Francis D. 

 Pritt, the services were of the severely Low type, but Mr. Pritt has 

 shown his clerical neigliboiu'S, who seemed somewhat sceptical as to 

 the receptiveness of the hard-headed North Lancashire farmer in 

 matters of Catholic doctrine and Eitual, how much may be done by 

 sheer doggedness. The progress that has been made may be gathered 

 from the following list of services at the church dedication and harvest 

 festivals observed on Saturday and Sunday, September 29th and 30th : 

 Saturday: 8 a.m.. Holy Communion; 8 p.m., Evensong. Sunday: 8 

 a.m., Holy Communion ; 10-33, Matins and Celebration (Missa Coelestis, 

 A. H. Brown) ; 1st Evensong and Sermon, 3 p.m. ; 2nd Evensong and 

 Sermon, 7 p.m. The solemn Te Beum was sung before the close of the 

 seven o'clock service. The music used at this church is Gregorian. 

 The mixed chalice, E.P., altar lights, ablutions, coloured stoles, are 

 also used. All the services were well attended, the church being 

 crowded in the afternoon and evening. Mr. Pritt, after some little 

 resistance, has succeeded in winning over the bulk of his people, and 

 he has the satisfaction of seeing that the ministrations of the church 

 are now very acceptable. Mr. Pritt was for seven years vicar of Cold- 

 hurst, Oldham, where now the fruits of his soimd Catholic teaching are 

 to be found." — Church Times. 



The late Curate-in-charge, the Rev. T. H. Davies, in a letter to the 

 Church Times, aays : — "The services from early in 1884 until June, 

 1886, were of a distinctly musical character, and the teaching from the 

 pulpit was distinctly AngUcan." He also gives some rather striking 

 figures of the number of communicants and candidates for confirmation, 

 in order to prove "that church work was not neglected" during his 

 curacy. 



The living is in the gift of the Vicar of Preston, and is returned at 

 £117 per annum, with a residence. 



There is a small school close to the church, with an average attend- 

 ance of about 40. 



There are no other places of worship in the village. 



