After a really chilly week, Saturday 14th September dawned bright and sunny, and many cars and 2 ‘Hopper’ buses descended on Peterborough Cathedral for our Diocesan Festival.
Around 150 members attended, and all enjoyed watching 30 banners being processed up the centre aisle of the Cathedral, and being acknowledged by our new Bishop, Debbie Sellin. It was a wonderful occasion with Bishop Debbie presiding at the Eucharist service and also being enrolled as a member of the Mothers’ Union.
It was a packed service as not only did we have an enrolment but also the commissioning of Helen Lynett as Diocesan President for the next triennium (2025 – 2027), but also the commissioning of Revd. Deborah Marsh as the Mothers’ Union Chaplain for our diocese.
Helen had presented Deborah with a Mothers’ Union stole which she wore for the service.
The Mothers’ Union Provincial President of Canterbury, Kathryn Anderson, had also joined us for this special service and wore a dress and jacket which sported the MU logo all over. There was no mistaking Kathryn’s affiliation to our charity.
The Bishop preached about her connections to the Mothers’ Union throughout her life of ministry, having been based at Old Arlesford (the home of Mary Sumner), and working with members in Winchester Diocese and then visiting Burundi in Eastern Africa and seeing at first-hand how Mothers’ Union members work in the poorest of places to teach literacy and then business skills so families can have an income.
As with most Mothers’ Union meetings, the afternoon was rounded off with tea and cake, beautifully provided by Peterborough Diocese. A huge thank you to all the ladies who cooked, served and then cleared up behind us.
We can now look forward to our next visit to the Cathedral in 2026 when we celebrate 150 years of Mothers’ Union.
