The Long Way “Lichfield Is a Pilgrim Cathedral, the Three-Day Walk from Stoke to Lichfield and Always Has Will Bring Local People and Places Together
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Spotlight The Diocese of Lichfield Magazine Sept/Oct 2016 Bishop Michael will be arriving in Lichfield “As I begin serving as your bishop, I am on foot to take up his new role as ninety- humbled to be walking in Chad’s footsteps. ninth bishop of the diocese. In the three Everybody is welcome to come and join me days leading up to his Installation and along the way.” Enthronement, he and a party of fellow pilgrims are walking part of the Two Saints Way. The Long Way “Lichfield is a pilgrim cathedral, The three-day walk from Stoke to Lichfield and always has will bring local people and places together. been. Travellers Starting at Stoke Minster, the Saxon birthplace came here for of Stoke-on-Trent, he will follow the old custom centuries, inspired of bringing stones to Stone, and join services in in their faith by St churches in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Gnosall and Chad and keen to Lichfield. grow as followers of Jesus Christ by Bishop Michael walking in his foot- will be making steps. Chad is one of the pilgrimage the all-time greats with a simple prayer staff of the Midlands, his called a mequamia. name is on land- marks everywhere, “I was given it when but many people I visited St Michael’s have forgotten who Ethiopian church in the he was. It’s time to so-called Jungle settle- put that right. ment in France last year. It is a symbol of “Chad was the first bishop of Lichfield, he our world. So many brought the Christian faith to our part of the people are travel- Midlands. He is one of the great figures of our ling, searching, or history. He shaped the people we are and the lost and we need places we live today. He journeyed alongside to pray, to lean people, lived faithfully and drew the Mercians of on the Holy Spirit his time to God in their thousands. in our journeying.” The Church of England around Staffordshire, northern Shropshire and the Black Country TGIBishop Monday Michael’s launch Season of Welcome Bishop Michael’s season of welcome is about to begin as we go to press. Walking the Two Saints Way A Global Church In the nine days before his Installation and Enthronement at Lichfield Cathedral, he will trav- Bishop Michael and others will be walking Among the many guests visiting el across the diocese, visiting churches and communities, meeting people, praying for them, part of the Two Saints Way: the Diocese for +Michael’s and asking them to pray for him in his ministry. Please check our website for additional details. Installation will be bishops and Oswestry - Thursday 15th Newcastle under Lyme - Wednesay 21: Stoke -Stone representatives from 7.30pm; Holy Trinity, Roft Street, SY11 2ES. Thursday 22: Stone - Stafford our link dioceses. On Wednesday 21st Friday 23: Stafford - Lichfield Sunday afternoon/ A Service of Word & Prayer for Diocese & 7.30pm; St Paul’s Church, Victoria Road. Bishop; refreshments. evening, many A Eucharist for the Feast of St Matthew; Anyone is welcome to join any will be receiving refreshments. part of this (and there is no Lichfield hospitality Wellington - Friday 16th need to ‘book in’) but please at parishes around 7.30pm; Christ Church, New Church Road, Gnosall - Thursday 22nd be aware of the need to the diocese. Wellington, TF1 1JX. A Service of Prayer and 7.00pm; St Lawrence Church, Sellman Street, maintain a steady pace! Details Updates on the Praise; refreshments. ST20 0EP. A Service of Prayer & Thanksgiving of each day’s pilgrimage are on website: www.lich- for our Benefice, our Diocese and our Bishop; the diocesan website. field.anglican.org Chesterton - Saturday 17th refreshments. 7.30pm; Holy Trinity Church Hall, Church Street, ST5 7HJ Prayer and Harvest Supper. Lichfield - Friday 23rd 5.30pm; St Chad’s Wolverhampton - Sunday 18th Church, St Chad’s 5.30pm; All Saints Church, All Saints Road, Road, Lichfield Wolverhampton WV2 2AW. Prayers & WS13 7ND. Reflection on supporting Mission on the Renewal of Edge; Supper. 17 Baptismal Vows at 21 St Chad’s Well (in Installation and Enthronement ship. Confirmed hubs where you can go and Aldridge 20 the churchyard). Diocesan Eucharist take part in the celebration include: - Mon- Lichfield Cathedral; 11.00 & 15.30 Shifnal: St Andrew’s day 15 Because of the limited capacity of Lichfield Shrewsbury: Bayston Hill - Christ Church 19th Lichfield Cathedral, these will be ticket-only services: Stafford: Littleworth - St John’s 7.45pm; 22 - Friday As well as invitations to all Licensed Lay and West Bromwich: YMCA’s Cielo Shop, Carters Aldridge Ordained ministers, each Deanery has been Green Church Centre, 23rd given an allocation of tickets so the whole Telford: Wrockwardine Wood - Holy Trinity 16 The Green, WS9 23 7.00pm; people of the Diocese may be represented. Walsall: St Martin’s 8NH. A Service of Lichfield Pelsall: St Michael’s Praise and Prayer; refreshments. 19 Cathedral. Not everyone can squeeze into Lichfield Tamworth: St George’s Glascote 18 Vigil Cathedral, so the Bishops and Dean have Service of the Holy asked each deanery, alone or in clusters, Both services will be streamed live over the Whitchurch - Tuesday 20th Spirit seeking blessing to identify a hub location where people internet, and a number of deaneries are 7.00pm; St Alkmund’s Church, Church Street, and anointing of us all as can gather together from local churches, organising local places to gather and enjoy SY13 1LB. A Service of Holy Communion; Bishop Michael‘s ministry. begins. to watch one or both services live on a big the celebrations together. Check for details at refreshments. screen and share lunch and a time of fellow- www.lichfield.anglican.org. Follow us on Twitter @Lichfield_CofE 2 Regular updates on our website www.lichfield.anglican.org 3 Join our Facebook Group “The Church of England’s Diocese of Lichfield” The Church of England around Staffordshire, northern Shropshire and the Black Country Pilgrims follow Henry V The House of the Rector A small but determined band of pilgrims The chocolate-box image of the traditional in the finishing of the house which exceeds all embarked on a seven-day trek from vicarage doesn't account for the realities of environmental requirements.” Shrewsbury to Holywell in the footsteps of life in the 21st century. Just keeping those King Henry V. buildings warm and dry is often a challenge "It's a privilege to be the first to live in this new for the Diocese's Property department, let house" says John, who spent seventeen years Six hundred years ago, the warrior king under- alone keeping electrics and heating up to as a chaplain in the RAF. "I have lived in 29 took the pilgrimage on foot about six months modern standards. different houses, 10 since we married; we’ve had after routing French forces at the Battle of a family grow, fly the nest and now return as Agincourt on 25 October 1415. So there was celebration all round when the guests to see gran & grandad. So we have been Rector of Aldridge, Revd John Coyne and his very aware through this process that we have The King’s pilgrimage began at the Benedictine wife Sue received the keys of their brand new a responsibility on behalf of future rectors of Shrewsbury Abbey, where the relics of St rectory at the start of September. Aldridge and their families that this house will Winefride were enshrined, and ended at St be good for them and their ministries too. Winefride’s Well in Flintshire, the site where "It's the culmination of a long and complex the virgin martyr was beheaded by the Welsh process" says Andy Mason, Director of Property “I’m thrilled with this chieftan Caradog in the 7th century, before she for the Diocese. "Negotiations and planning outcome” says CEO of Angus Neal (headteacher of the newly-opened Holy Trinity was miraculously brought back to life by her Academy) with Rt Revd Mark Rylands (Anglican Bishop of over this area of land had begun before John Lichfield Diocese, Julie uncle, St Beuno. Shrewsbury and Rt Revd Mark Davies (Roman Catholic Bishop of [Coyne, Rector of Aldridge] or I had come to the Jones. “Kendrick Homes Shrewsbury Diocese. But we've sold the land to the highest were the developers About two dozen walkers gathered in bidder, Kendrick Homes, who having built the who submitted the As well as triple glazing and Shrewsbury Abbey for a service of prayer before highest bid and have rainwater collection, the developers thought to include they set off on a 71-mile route close to that proved to be excel- baby-chagne facilities in the taken by the King. lent partners, going visitors’ cloakroom The pilgrims then above and beyond set out on the first our requirements in leg of the journey, providing an appro- from Shrewsbury priate vicarage at a Pilgrims set out along Shrewsbury’s Town Walls to Montford very good cost to us. Bridge. The route is not identical to that taken by Henry, who probably would have walked along part “And the proceeds of Walking about of the ancient Roman road from Wroxeter to the development are good for both the parish 10 miles a day, Chester. Ron Williams, who designed the new of Aldridge and the whole diocese. For Aldridge, Julie Jones, CEO of Lichfield Diocese; Revd John & Sue Coyne the pilgrimage pilgrimage trail, said: “We cannot follow the receiving keys; and James Rennison, MD of Kendrick Homes as it is helping finance their new parish centre, was to take them route that Henry took because Watling Street, already a vital hub for its mission in the local through Nesscliffe, is now the A5 so we have had to create a route new rectory is now building eight other lovely community; Oswestry, as near as possible.” houses.