The Vicar writes….. Address given at the Annual Parochial Meeting on 22nd April At last year’s APCM I left you with a question. “What do you think we should do next?” You’ve heard a lot about MAPs (Mission Action Plans) this last year. The Bishop has asked every Parish to produce its own MAP and […]

Dear Friends, Very Early on Sunday morning at sunrise, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome brought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. On the way they said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the tomb?” It was a very large stone. Then they […]

    Dear Friends, A month into 2018 and whatever other resolutions you may have made, I wonder how many of us have resolved to use less plastic or even try to live a plastic free life? The Blue Planet programme shocked us all with its images of the plastic filled oceans and the heart […]

I hope that you have all had an enjoyable Christmas and a chance to relax and spend time with family and friends. I also hope that you have not thrown out your Christmas tree yet or taken down your decorations! It seems to me that we see Christmas decorations going up earlier and earlier each […]

The Vicar writes……. A few years ago I went on a curates’ exchange visit to Braunschweig in Germany which is twinned with Blackburn Diocese. The main church in Germany is the Lutheran Church and our hosts were curates or “vikarin”. They were part way through their 7 year training which sounded extremely arduous and demanding, […]

  Dear Friends, It’s nearly my first anniversary of being appointed as Team Vicar for the Blackrod, Daisy Hill, Westhoughton and Wingates Team with special responsibility for St Katharine’s and St Thomas Chequerbent!  Doesn’t time fly?  (When you’re having fun!)  The only annual event I’ve yet to experience is the Harvest Festival on the 8th […]

Dear Friends, I’ve always enjoyed September.  The weather is usually pretty good and the autumn colours begin to appear.  It marks the passing of summer and the arrival of autumn.  But the reason I like it most of all is because it’s a time of new beginnings and that’s really exciting.  Summer holidays are behind […]

The Vicar writes….. Dear Friends, In my day and I’m sure in most of your days too, we weren’t allowed to receive Holy Communion until we had been confirmed. I can remember at age 12 wanting to be confirmed so that I could receive communion alongside my parents. I also remember the sense of belonging […]

The Vicar Writes…… I would like to express my thanks to all of you who work so hard to make this a fabulous church which is worth joining.  President Trump has just completed 100 days in office.  I have almost completed 200 days in office, and I know which office I’d rather be in! I’ve […]

The Vicar writes…. Dear Friends, Well it may not feel like it but Spring is here!  We’ve had some tantalising days giving a hint of what’s to come or what we’d like to come.  Sunny skies, birds singing, spring flowers and the shrubs and trees coming into leaf.  It’s a fantastic time of the year, […]