On Saturday 8th October 2016 Bishop Damien Mead paid his annual visitation to the Church of Our Lady of Walsingham & St Francis, Rochester, Kent to celebrate the Parish’s Co-Patronal Festival.
Usually celebrated on a Saturday between the Feast of St Francis on 4th October and Our Lady of Walsingham’s Feast Day on 15th October. This year the Patronal was a bittersweet celebration because it will be the last for The Revd Dr Jonathan Munn as Parish Priest. Fr Munn will be moving to Sheffield in the North of England early in the new year. His last service will be Christmas Eve.
The Bishop celebrated Mass and preached and after the bring your own picnic lunch he served for Fr Munn at Benediction.
After Mass the Bishop was asked to bless Colin Rumens, one of the members of the Parish, new mobility scooter. He did so happily noting the appropriate number plate – BISHOP 1. (This is because Mr Rumens participates in a local historical re-enactment playing the part of a ‘bishop’ for tourists to Rochester Castle). Bishop Damien couldn’t resist testing the driving seat!
