it now would cost local people access to some of Lancashire’s richest heritage. On 4 April 2014 Michael Campbell, Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster, announced in a pastoral letter that ...Gilles Wach, General Prior of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, and I – together with Father Simon Hawksworth - have agreed, to establish a foundation of the Institute at the Church of St Walburge, Preston - hopefully in the autumn. The arrival and presence of the institute in the church and presbytery at St Walburge’s will enable the sustainability and care of this magnificent church so that it can be open each day as a shrine or centre for Eucharistic devotion and adoration. St Walburge’s will remain part of the Parish of St Walburge and the Sacred Heart but will specifically provide for the celebration of Holy Mass and the other Sacraments in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. It is envisaged, however, that the current Ordinary Form Mass, will continue to be celebrated here on Sunday for as long as there is a pastoral need... The Shrine Church was officially opened on 27 September 2014, with a High Mass celebrated by Gilles Wach, Prior General of the Institute of Christ the King, in the presence of Bishop Campbell. The Mass is celebrated daily at the Shrine and the Sacraments are offered in the Traditional Roman Rite according to the charter of the Institute of Christ the King. There is also an Ordinary Form of Mass on Saturday evening celebrated by the local parish administrator for the members of the former parish. Architecture and features Spire Externally, St Walburge's spire, rising to is the dominant landmark in Preston and is one of the tallest structures of any sort in Lancashire. After Salisbury and Norwich Cathedrals, it is the third tallest spire in the United Kingdom, and is the tallest on a parish church. The steeple is constructed from limestone sleepers which originally carried the nearby Preston and Longridge Railway, giving the spire a red tint during sunset. In 2014 the church was featured in the BBC series Fred Dibnah's Magnificent Monuments when the spire was the last to be worked upon by steeplejack and TV personality Fred Dibnah. He installed his red ladders to inspect the steeple, but television filming commitments then meant he was unable to complete the job. The ladders were left at the