Parishioners at St John Ogilvie Church in Blantyre claim they were booted out after praying for suspended priest Father Matthew Despard.

The group of supporters for Father Despard have been meeting outside the church grounds every Saturday following vigil mass to pray for a “speedy outcome” for the priest.

But they say that on Saturday, October 25, an assistant priest invited the group to pray inside.

However, they claim that shortly after lining up to pray, they were told to “get out of the church.”

They also allege that they were told the initial priest had no right to invite them in.

The group have gathered every Saturday, no matter the weather, over the last year since the then parish priest of St John Ogilvie Church, Father Matthew Despard, was suspended.

The 50-year-old published a book of his memoirs called Crisis in the Priesthood, which accused the Catholic Church in Scotland of covering up sexual bullying.

One of Father Despard’s supporters told the Advertiser this week: “As we were praying, we were told to get out of the church and pray outside.

“To be forbidden from praying, for what ever reason, in a Roman Catholic Church is outrageous to say the least.”

A spokesman for Bishop of Motherwell Joseph Toal said: “While nobody can be prevented from saying their own prayers in church, public prayers should only be arranged with the prior agreement of the priest in charge.”

Meanwhile, Father Despard is due back in court in the coming weeks to fight an eviction noticed served on him, as ordered by the Bishop of Motherwell Joseph Toal, to leave the parish house.

The case was originally postponed back in July, but is due to be called again at the start of December.