The Bishop of Hereford is calling on all people in the Diocese of Hereford to make Ash Wednesday. Bishop Anthony Priddis was joined by the Bishop of Ludlow and the Archdeacon of Hereford, in asking clergy to encourage parishioners to attend church at some point in the day and to pray at home. Ash Wednesday is on February17th.

“I should love for there to be a church in every benefice or at least one in every deanery, that is advertised as being open, warm and welcoming that day, preferably with a rota of people to welcome others, said Bishop Anthony, “although I appreciate in some of our smaller rural communities the Church might be unstaffed.”

Churches have already responded by arranging for churches to be open particularly if not usually so, by providing a leaflet to help people to pray and in some of the larger churches providing people as prayer guides if wanted; special services have also been arranged during the day too. Bishop Anthony has also suggested some appropriate bible readings including some psalms and parts of St Matthew and St John’s Gospels.

 “We want to encourage everyone to mark this Ash Wednesday with extra prayer, either in their homes or places of work, if that’s possible, or by finding a local church where you can spend some time in quietness,” added the Bishop.

The Bishop has sent a pastoral letter to every parish, to be read out at services next Sunday, to actively encourage churchgoers to start the period of Lent in a positive way on the first day. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a forty day period preceding Easter when Christians reflect on the disciplines of their faith, traditionally marked by fasting, prayer and doing something extra such as giving up something one likes or taking on something one does not!

A list of Churches and what they are providing is available on the diocesan website. It splits the Diocese up into Herefordshire and Shropshire and allows for the parishes in Wales and Worcestershire; it is done geographically to enable everyone, including those not familiar with local churches, to find a church available and open. Most churches in the Diocese of Hereford are open every day during daylight hours, all the time.  Go to http://www.hereford.anglican.org/visitors/visitor_information/ash_wednesday_special_services.aspx