The Vicar of Mossley explains a special celebration that is taking place on Sunday in his latest Reporter column.

This Sunday we celebrate All Saints’ Day - the day each year when we recall all of those in Christian history whom we call saints. 

It’s important to recall that the saints were just like us - real flesh and blood people, made holy by God for their actions in life and now raised, as Christians believe we all shall be, to the life of Heaven.

Some saints have famous stories attached to them, and though these are sometimes a little far-fetched and often embellished over time, in all of them there is something to learn, and more importantly something to inspire us in our lives. 

As we celebrate All Saints’ day in Mossley, we give thanks particularly for our Micklehurst All Saints’ School, and the church which, though now closed, served the people of Micklehurst over so many years. 

On November 2 we mark All Souls’ day - our focus moves from the famous of our history to the people we knew and loved. 

It’s customary to read a list of names of those that people have asked to be prayed for, and we shall do that on Tuesday evening as a part of our worship. 

All Souls is a day to look back and be thankful, and particularly for me, to pray for all the individuals and families whose funerals I have been involved with over the past year. 

A prayer we use at this time of year puts it best: ‘grant us grace, so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living; that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you.’

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