A warm welcome for Archbishop Sarah during weekend visit

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, joined Bishop Richard, clergy, lay ministers and people from across Hereford Diocese last weekend in joyful celebration marking 1350 years of the diocese. The weekend of listening to the concerns of local people began by meeting local farmers gathered in Shropshire for the monthly Butty Van breakfast. This was followed by two joyful services at St Laurence’s church in Ludlow, the first a Celebration of Lay Ministry and Admission of Readers, then a Service of Baptism and Confirmation. Archbishop Sarah baptised three people and forty were confirmed, of all ages. On Saturday evening the Archbishop met young people at Leominster Youth Hub, in the Priory Church.

On Saturday morning, she met with farmers at a local Butty Van in Affcot, south Shropshire. Part of the work to support rural agricultural communities delivered by the Borderlands Chaplaincy team.

Following this visit, Archbishop Sarah attended two services at St Laurence’s Church Ludlow, one celebrating lay ministry across the diocese and in the afternoon a service of confirmation and baptism, where she and Bishop Richard confirmed 40 confirmands. The evening ended with Archbishop Sarah meeting young people and leaders at Leominster Priory who are part of our Youth Hub project and taking part in OpentheBox story telling event.

Photo credit: Neil Turner / Lambeth PalaceOn Sunday morning, Archbishop Sarah was hosted by the Chaplaincy team and Midwives at NHS Wye Valley Trust, Hereford Hospital where she attended a service of morning prayer in the chapel. She later spent time at a memorial garden for stillborn babies, meeting bereavement midwives and staff from special care baby unit, and blessing ribbons that will be tied to the Cathedral gates for a memorial service for Baby Loss Awareness Week.

She then travelled to Putley Church in Hereford to join a Harvest Festival Service led by The Revd Val Tait. After the service, she joined locals at the Big Apple Fest in Much Marcle, Herefordshire to learn about the county’s leading role in the production of cider and perry.
She ended the day with a celebration of Evensong at Hereford Cathedral, where she preached on the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, and the theme of light and darkness in the Gospel of John.

Watch the evensong sermon here or read a copy of the sermon online:

Reflecting on the visit, Archbishop Sarah said: “It was a blessing to spend this weekend in the Diocese of Hereford. Together we celebrated 1,350 years of faith and faithful service in this place – built on prayer and the enduring hope we have in Jesus Christ. The weekend has been a reminder of the many challenges facing our farming communities, from loneliness and isolation to climate change and rising costs. But it has also be a chance to see the care offered by our clergy, agricultural chaplains and local churches.

“I give thanks too for our hospital chaplains, and for the many people who lead worship, visit those in need, work with children and young people, and sustain the life of our parishes. Each of us has a vital part to play in the body of Christ.

God has been faithful through generations, and remains present among us. He calls us to serve others, provides what we need, and sustains us in our life together.”