Three of the 'flower ladies' working
on the displays
The Patronal
Festival 2007
Pictures from the
colourful High Mass on Friday, October 5th, and the Sung Eucharist
of Dedication and Festal Evensong services on Sunday, October 7th, 2007.
October
6th is the Feast Day of Saint Faith - the day in the Church's calendar
when she is especially
remembered by the churches that bear her name. Here at our St Faith's
the days surroundiung the feast
have traditionally been marked by special services at which we give
thanks for the life of Faith, for the
founding and sustaining of our church and all who have served it over
the past century - and dedicated
ourselves to the future as a church and community of Faith.
Our gallery shows something of what took place at each of the three
very different services that took place over our
Patronal Festival weekend. First, the traditional and splendid High
Mass, where the celebrant and preacher was the
Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Nicholas Reade. He was
accompanied by the Bishop of the Free State in South Africa,
with whom the Blackburn Diocese is twinned (and whose predecessor,
Bishop Tom Stanage, was at one time a curate
at St Faith's). Music at this service was by Palestrina, Mozart and
Elgar.
Saint Faith looking her best for the
big day
The procession on the way in at the
start of the High Mass. Clergy and bishops still in the vestry
The choir head past the font. Stoles
and mitres on their way down...
Parish and visiting priests on their
way round
Bishop Paddy of the Free State
sweeps past...
The Bishop of Blackburn finishes his
figure-of-eight excursion
The last communicant
The choir in full voice. Two of the
Usual Suspects have spotted the photographer....
The attendant clerics listen to the
choir and soloist Sarah Helsby-Hughes
On the way back down the aisle at
the end of the service
Fr Neil poses between the
bishops in
the church porch
The following Sunday
morning, October 7th, saw the Sung Eucharist of Dedication, at which we
were joined by members
of St Mary's congregation. The preacher, making a welcome return visit,
was the Revd Denise McDougall, for many years
a member of our church, and now on the staff of Christ Church,
Waterloo. The other special feature was the parading of
a home-made banner of St Faith, created in the church hall during the
course of the service by members of the Sunday
Schools of the United Benefice.
The Sunday morning Dedication
service: reading the Epistle
The Gospel procession: turning to
bring the scriptures down into the body of the church
TFr Dennis reads the Gospel in the
Nave
The Junior Church children form up at
the back with their new banner
A closer look at the banner of St
Faith, made that very morning!
In position on the Nave Altar platform
The Revd Denise McDougall looks at
the welcome card made for her by the children
Our Patronal weekend was rounded
off by a service of Festal Evensong, itself ending with a
procession and the singing of the Te Deum by our choir, who had given
sterling service
throughout these memorable days of celebration.
Festal Evensong: the view from the
pew into the Sanctuary
Close up on the Director of Music
conducting the Te Deum
Go to the Patronal
Page index to
access previous celebrations
Back to the home page