The Archbishop of Canterbury is visiting the diocese this weekend to preach and preside at the 100th birthday celebration of St Gabriel’s Church in Wanstead.
Archbishop Justin Welby will be joined at the service in Aldersbrook Road by Bishop of Chelmsford Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, who will be dedicating a mosaic which will be blessed towards the end of proceedings.
Father Martyn Hawkes, a vicar at St Gabriel’s for three years, said: “It is amazing opportunity to have the Archbishop of Canterbury coming.
“We were really surprised it came off. We asked Bishop Cottrell to come and preside at the dedication service and it just so happened the Archbishop was visiting our diocese too because the diocese is 100 years old the same weekend.”
The Archbishop will be touring the diocese on both Saturday (17) and Sunday (18). “It was just a coincidence,” added Father Hawkes.
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