The southern Ontario diocese of Niagara has lost its attempt to share the church buildings of two breakaway parishes in a temporary arrangement.

On Friday, an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that the two area congregations — St. Hilda's in Oakville and St. George's in Lowville — should have sole access to the buildings over the next two weeks.

The interim decision will be in place until both sides return to court on March 20 when a longer-term arrangement will be ironed out for Sunday services.

That agreement would then be in place until a court makes a final decision on who owns the churches.

Many parishioners were at the hearing, some kneeling to pray in the courtroom while others clutched Bibles.

The two churches are among some 10 congregations across the country that voted to split from the Anglican Church of Canada earlier this year over several of its recent controversial decisions, including the acceptance of same-sex marriages.

The dissident parishes have joined a group called the Anglican Network in Canada.

The group, which also involves five other congregations never officially part of the national church, says the Anglican Church of Canada has drifted away from what they call "biblically faithful, historically authentic Anglicanism."