St Paul, Withington

Photos from this Run the race Bishop's pilgrimage

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd. Nigel McCulloch visited the parish of Saint Paul, Withington on January 14th 2008 as part of his three-year pilgrimage around the diocese.
The Bishop began by joining the Rector and churchwardens, Kevin Dunn, chaplain of Christie Hospital and Bob Smith, currently training for ordination, for prayers in the chapel.
The bishop was then taken to nearby Withington Fire Station where he met Greater Manchester's Commander and chatted with the crew on duty. Following the visit, the  Commander has written an article about a Fire Service smoke alarm project for the parish magazine and the firefighters have arranged a date to come a speak to church groups.
The bishop then crossed the road to Withington Leisure Centre, which celebrates its centenary in 2008 to meet staff and to discuss the role of the centre in the community's life.
The bishop also visited a retired priest and his wife, now living in the parish, and prayed with them both.
The Rector, the Revd. Sandra Woodhead said, 'Returning to the church with the bishop for the reception I had no idea what scene would greet us as I opened the doors.' She needn't have worried as, 'of the two hundred invitations sent out to the local community it seemed as though everybody had responded' and a large crowd was there to greet them over a glass of wine, hotpot and mince pies.
Over 150 stayed to the service during which the Rector gave a presentation which focussed on the people of the parish,  illustrating the story of the area and the church's links to the community.
A group of children and young people from the parish handed back

the Commonwealth Games baton and walked out at the end of the service alongside the bishop.
Reflecting on the experience, the Rector, the Revd. Sandra Woodhead said: 'Preparing for the bishop's visit prior to the day was hard work - but the visit has raised the profile of the church in the community. We have a  covenant with Withington Methodist Church and they were also delighted to be a part of this.
'Everyone thought the whole evening from start to finish  was fantastic - it absolutely exceeded people's expectations.'

The bishop commented on the strength of the young choir and the quality of the music at St Paul's.
Over 130 of those present  went forward to be blessed and anointed by the bishop; a significant proportion of whom were not regular church members.
People have said this is something we should do more often - though maybe perhaps not too often!
It was definitely worthwhile.'