THE Archbishop of York officially re-opened Whalley Abbey after a £1.3million restoration and marked the occasion by calling for peace between Israel and Lebanon.

Dr John Sentamu, the first black man to hold the position, led a special service on Saturday in the grounds of the abbey.

There was a carnival atmosphere as Blowjangles jazz band entertained the crowd before the Archbishop spoke to the 800-strong congregation.

During his visit to East Lancashire, The Most Rev Sentamu also lit a candle for peace in Blackburn Cathedral and met parishioners at St Luke's and St Phillips, Bank Top, and St Thomas and St Jude, Accrington Road, Blackburn.

Speaking after the service, he called for peace as Israel continued to carry out a bombing campaign which has killed hundreds of people in retaliation for attacks on its troops.

He said: "As far as Israel and Lebabon is concerned all I can do is support those with their finger on the pulse.

"The secretary general of the United Nations has called for a cease fire, all I can do is support his call.

"It has got to be a political solution in the long run, not a military one.

"As Martin Luther King said: To respond to violence with violence you add to darkness on a night already devoid of stars'."

The 700-year-old abbey was closed for eight months while Blackburn Diocese, which owns the site, carried out a major refurbishment which was overseen by the Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Rev John Goddard.

This included upgrading the retreat house and conference centre, which sits next to the abbey ruins, and the creation of a new dining hall and reception area.

The Most Rev Sentamu said the high numbers of people who had turned out gave him hope for the future of the church.

He added: "We still need to be attracting more people to the church, but it still has the greatest group of volunteers for any organisation in the country.

"Political parties would love to have our numbers."

Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, said that the re-opening of the abbey marked an important date for the Church in Lancashire as every deanery and practically each of the diocese's 240 parishes were represented.