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How Vatican reacted to mission's wind of change

A row has erupted over the future of a Catholic mission which exposes a split between the traditional church back in Poland and the new generation of economic migrants.

At its heart is a reformist priest who tried to support the influx of devout young Poles, struggling to balance independence with the values of old Poland, where the church exerts a great deal of influence.

Now Father Edward Hodurek has been ordered back to Poland by the Vatican and a hall used by the Polish community in Falkirk has been closed and put up for sale.

Members of the congregation have been told to attend masses conducted by 30 traditional priests recently brought over from Poland and whose upkeep is to be paid for by the sale of the United Polish Mission.

The migrants, led by Joanna Creslik, the chairwoman of a support group for the town's 2,000 recently arrived Poles, have launched a campaign to prevent the sale. They have been joined by a number of Polish ex-combatants who arrived in Scotland during and after the Second World War and their families, who collected hundreds of signatures against the closure.

Full story at The Scotsman.