Bishop Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell, the new Archbishop of York, has taken up the historic Braganza Crozier – his staff of office – in a short ceremony at York Minster, following his Confirmation of Election as the 98th Archbishop of York. …
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Message from Bishop Julian
Creating a Wildlife Garden at the Vicarage – part 1
This is Vicar Anne’s nineteenth year at St. Oswald’s Church, meaning that she has become the church’s longest serving priest, passing the Rev. Massiah who previously held the record in the 1930s with 17 years. Anne has introduced many changes over this time, not least changes to the Vicarage garden for which, as a keen…
My yoke is easy and my burden is light
Epistle Romans 7:15-25a Gospel Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 We know from the gospels that Jesus loved children – he often held them up as examples of how things should really be. ‘Let the little ones come to me, for of such if the Kingdom of heaven’. Unless you become like children you shall not enter the…
Celebration of Love: Service for Fourth Sunday after Trinity
Our Sunday service this week is a local multilingual offering led by Rev. Sarah Gill, Vicar of St Stephens & St James’, Blackburn, with the message given by Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster. As usual, the Vicar’s Sunday Sermon will be uploaded at 6.30pm. This week’s sermon is called, ‘My yoke is easy and my…
Finding a wife for Isaac
The story of Abraham’s servant finding a wife for Isaac. In this week’s Sunday family pack we join together to look at the story of Abraham’s servant being sent out to find a wife for Isaac. How did the servant know who was the right wife for Isaac? Messy Sermon Group family activities 5th July…
Saint Thomas the Apostle
Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas, the Apostle. Saint Thomas is especially interesting because in spreading the Gospel he left the Mediterranean area completely and established churches thousands of miles away on the Malabar Coast in south-west India. He is also believed to have preached the Gospel in China and possibly Indonesia. There is…
50 ways to stay healthy while staying at home
Lockdown is at last slowly being unlocked though many people are still wisely staying close to home. It is important wherever you are to stay well and positive. Here is a compilation of perhaps the best advice about keeping healthy during the lockdown. You can make these small changes to improve your diet, fitness, mental…
New Monthly Multi-Lingual Services from Blackburn Diocese
This Sunday 5th July, on the Diocese of Blackburn’s YouTube channel at 9 o’clock, Rev’d Sarah Siddique Gill, Vicar of St Stephen’s and St James’ Blackburn will lead a multi-lingual service which will be repeated every first Sunday of the month thereafter. “The truth is that Christianity is a global religion,” says Sarah, who was born…
Saints Peter and Paul 2020
Today we celebrate the lives of Saints Peter and Paul. Here is a special reflection on each Saint by Sr Petra of Stanbrook Abbey at Wass, North Yorkshire, which is pictured above. The Abbey website is https://www.stanbrookabbey.org.uk On their feast day this year there will be no great gatherings in St Peter’s square in celebration…