TWO Anglican priests have defected to the Catholic church, with some parishioners following suit.

Jeff Woolnough and Lee Bennett have joined the Ordinariate, set up by the Pope for disaffected members of the Church of England.

Their decision has divided opinions in their churches, Hockley’s St Peter and St Paul and St Mary the Virgin in Benfleet High Road, which are now without leaders.

Churchgoers at St Mary’s had raised £34,000 a year to pay for Mr Bennett’s expenses and pension since he joined in 2007, according to church warden Terry Babbage.

He said: “It was a sad day saying goodbye to people we have known for years.

“We pray for unity in our church, but there are those who want to continue as members of the Church of England and those who do not.

“They have decided to take a different path.”

The Ordinariate, officially known as the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, was introduced by the Pope in 2009 to offer a haven for Anglican priests opposed to the Church of England’s stance on female bishops, gay clergy and same-sex blessings.

It allows vicars and churchgoers to be assimilated into Catholicism without losing all of their traditions.

Both Mr Woolnough and Mr Bennett will be trained as Catholic priests and ordained as deacons in May, moving to St Teresa’s in Rochford and the Holy Family Church, Benfleet.

About 15 churchgoers from St Mary’s and even more from St Peter and St Paul are expected to join Mr Woolnough at St Teresas, and Mr Bennett at Holy Family in the short term.

It is not yet known where the priests will be based once they have completed their training.

In a statement, Mr Woolnough said: “Although there is the inevitable sadness of leaving friends and also our beautiful church building, we know in our hearts we are making the right decision.

“The Church of England seems to have left us behind as she continues to introduce innovations that I, and many of you, believe are damaging to the unity of the church.

“We cannot any longer remain in the Anglican communion if we are to be people of real integrity.”

Mr Bennett added: “This has been the hardest decision I have ever had to make.”