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A last minute change of plan forced a postponement of the Bishop of Manchester's planned visit to St Paul Blackley, back in October 2007.
A hastily rearranged visit for a couple of hours one afternoon at the end of the same month saw the bishop visiting Victoria Avenue Primary School - where he took part in the school's harvest festival celebrations and was presented with a Victoria Avenue Primary School t-shirt as a souvenir of his visit.
A year on, the bishop returned to meet community and business leaders and other local neighbourhood figures at a reception organised by the church on October 28th 2008. The reception was then followed by a service of Pilgrimage and re-dedication for the congregation of St Paul's as well as their honoured guests .
Making the most of the opportunity of this second visit from Bishop Nigel, the priest-in-charge, John Clegg asked if the bishop would be prepared to confirm four members of the church, two of whom have learning difficulties.
Bishop Nigel was delighted to agree to the parish's request, and so the usual Pilgrimage Service in which the whole congregation is invited to come forward to be anointed and blessed by the bishop also incorporated a shortened service of confirmation.
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