The Heritage Fellowship Trip to Westminster
The group departed from St. James the Less church at 5.00a.m. on Wednesday the 9th May and returned late in the evening of Thursday the 10th May.
Upon their arrival in London they visited the Houses of Parliament followed in the evening by The Sound of Music at The London Palladium
On the following day they visited Westminster Cathedral where Fr. Lupton concelebrated Mass (in Latin) together with the registrar of Westminster -Fr. Michael Archer.
The following report of the visit appeared in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph on Saturday 12th May:
PM spares time to thank priest
No.10 tribute to Dean's 40 years of service
TONY Blair took time out from preparing his resignation to personally thank a Catholic Dean for 40 years of service.
The Prime Minister met Father David Lupton, the Dean of Rossendale and Hyndburn, on Wednesday, the day before he announced he would be leaving the post on June 27.
Fr Lupton, the parish priest at St James the Less, in Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, was invited to London after completing 40 years since he was ordained.
He was joined on the trip by 47 parishioners from the St James the Less Heritage Group. They were given a tour of Parliament, before Fr Lupton was taken to meet Mr Blair.
Rossendale MP Janet Anderson and Hyndburn MP Greg Pope organised the day for Fr Lupton.
Fr Lupton said he did not ask Mr Blair about his resignation.
He said: "It was a very happy occasion. I congratulated Mr Blair on Northern Ireland as it was the day after peace and shared power was announced.
"It was something that you never would have believed would happen."
Fr Lupton, who was made Dean in 2000, went to see The Sound of Music, in the West End, in the evening with the group.
On Thursday morning they went to Westminster Cathedral, where Fr Lupton took Mass in Latin with its registrar Fr Michael Archer, before travelling back to Rossendale.
Services in honour of Fr Lupton's 40 years are to be held at St James the Less on Sunday, May 20.
They will include visitors from St Robert's Church, Longsight, Manchester, where Fr Lupton was parish priest for 10 years, and St Joseph's, in Accrington, where he was for eight years.
Mrs Anderson, who has known Fr Lupton since she became an MP 15 years ago, congratulated him on his long service and said he was a lovely man.
She said: "Everyone in Rossendale loves him. His church is so popular.
"He is a devout and caring man."
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