Latest News
Diocese of St Albans Ordinations 2019
17th July 2019
On Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June, 17 priests and 14 deacons were ordained at St Albans Cathedral. They will serve in parishes across the diocese. Photo galleries from the two ordination services are now online: Ordination of Priests: Saturday 29th June 2019 Ordination of Deacons: Sunday 30th June 2019 Below are details of the… Read more »
Free Social Media Surgery Sessions for Parishes
17th July 2019
As a follow-up to the Social Media training courses earlier this year, we are offering parishes a free one-hour ‘surgery’ session with a member of our Communications team. The session will give you whatever help you need to get started or make the most of your parish social media accounts. Perhaps you would like help… Read more »
Join the Archdeacon of Bedford on his walking pilgrimage
17th July 2019
The new Archdeacon of Bedford, the Ven Dave Middlebrook will lead a walking pilgrimage of the six deaneries in Bedforshire over the summer, aiming to visit as many of the churches as possible. Each day will start and finish each a short act of worship, and he will lead prayers at each church. All are… Read more »
New Digital Charter making the web a more positive place
16th July 2019
The Church of England has launched a new ‘Digital Charter’ – a voluntary pledge for individual Christians as well as churches to sign to help make social media and the web more widely positive places for conversations to happen. Its seven principles aim to make conversations in the digital world as loving and generous as… Read more »
The do’s and don’ts of sharing photos from summer holiday clubs
16th July 2019
Photos from your church’s holiday club are likely to be some of the most youthful, colourful, and energetic that you will take all year and as such are great publicity for your church. Sharing photographs of children doesn’t mean pixelating their faces or just showing the backs of their heads. As long as you make… Read more »
Hitchhiking vicar raises £5,900 for mental health charity
16th July 2019
The Vicar of Redbourn, Revd Will Gibbs has successfully hitchhiked across the country to 26 destinations, each beginning with a consecutive letter of the alphabet, in a fundraising challenge for the St Mary’s Charity of the Year for 2019, Youth Talk St Albans. Will’s three-day challenge began on Friday 12th July when he set off… Read more »
Lead roof at Furneux Pelham targeted twice by thieves
27th June 2019
St Mary’s Church, Furneux Pelham, Hertfordshire is facing a six-figure repair bill after thieves targeted the lead roof twice in two days. The thieves fled after being disturbed by a member of the local community on their second attempt, highlighting the importance of vigilance from near neighbours and congregations. The East Herts Rural Policing Team… Read more »
Diocesan Synod hears about tackling Modern Slavery
27th June 2019
***Modern Day Slavery Helpline – 08000 121700*** Note the number now June 2019’s Diocesan Synod heard a presentation about the Clewer Initiative, tackling modern day slavery, given by the Revd Kevin Woolmer and the Revd Atalie Gaines. You can hear the presentation here. The video which is shown at about 6 minutes into the presentation… Read more »
Exposing the natural life in a churchyard: Conference
25th June 2019
A conference funded by National Lottery players, on managing churchyards for the benefit of wildlife and communities will take place next month in Potton, Bedfordshire where the council-managed churchyard underwent just such a transformation in recent years. The Council achieved this with input from the Diocese of St Albans Living Churchyards project and the Vicar… Read more »
Meet the Deacons
25th June 2019
On Sunday 30th June, 14 new deacons will be ordained at St Albans Cathedral. Below they tell us a little about their background, call to ministry and the move to their new parishes. Joshua Brocklesby is being ordained to the Parish of St Mary, Watford: “Before I started training, I was working for a… Read more »