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Statue of Christ comes back to Manchester

06/11/2006

A life-size statue of Christ on the cross has been returned to a monastery in Manchester.

The 130-year-old crucifix was about to be sold to a church in Florida, when a London art dealer agreed to halt the deal and sell it to the Monastery Trust.

Measuring 17 feet in length and ten feet in width, the crucifix has now been hoisted over the high altar at Gorton Monastery.

Public sector news site 24dash reports Tony Hurley, from Gorton Trust, as saying: "The crucifix is one of our most valuable treasures and to see it back in place over the altar is absolutely fantastic and quite emotional and it has been a long struggle to get to this point.

"This is a major milestone in the restoration of the building, which is on schedule for completion by next summer."

More than ten years after the monastery became empty and the crucifix sold by developers, the building is to set to become a community facility and conference centre.




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