The head of the Catholic Church in England has been asked to help prevent the closure of a Braintree nursing home.
A 2,500-name petition has been presented to the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, in the battle to stop the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception closing the St Francis Nursing Home in Broad Road, Braintree.
The home has served the elderly sick and medical patients since 1978 but is set to close on January 10 next year.
Protesters now think it will be sold to developers for housing, and taking the campaign to London may have done little to help.
A spokesman for the cardinal, whose office accepted the petition, said: "According to canon law, the cardinal has no jurisdiction over the day-to-day running of the religious orders in England and Wales.
"The cardinal hopes that there will be a satisfactory outcome that will benefit all the parties concerned as soon as possible."
If used for housing, the sale of the home would mean last-ditch hopes of the nursing facility being bought as a going concern would be dashed.
The campaigners are backed by Braintree MP Alan Hurst
Published Thursday October 24, 2002
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