Village church reopens just in time for 50th birthday

A SPECIAL day of celebration was held to mark the 50th anniversary of St Mary’s Church in Everton as its doors were opened to worshippers for the first time since lockdown.

The church was dedicated on 16th June 1970 but due to the pandemic restrictions it was feared that it would not be possible to hold an event to mark its half century.

But luckily the government announced just days before that churches would be allowed to open for private prayer once again on St Mary’s special day.

The congregation went into overdrive gathering bunting, flowers, balloons, and ribbons to decorate St Mary’s.

On the day itself the church bells pealed 50 times before people were once again welcomed inside to enjoy a service.

Gillian Peard, the lay minister at St Mary’s, told the A&T: “Our ‘celebration’ was to enable people to come to the church and go in again after three months of closure and spend some time in prayer with quiet music playing and appreciate a beautiful floral arrangement on the altar.

“Everyone enjoyed being able to see each other again.”

Becky Bishop who attends the church had written a special poem for the occasion which included the words:

St Mary’s Church is in the heart of the community, the place to go to worship and to pray,

Whether it’s for quiet reflection, or at a service on Sunday.

2020 is a special year for the church, the 16th June is a day that should be celebrated,

For it marks fifty years since the current building was dedicated.”