Rector blesses Rufford CE Schools Post-Covid Tree of Hope.

On Wednesday, June 22nd FR Mark Soady , Our Rector blessed a tree at Rufford CE School.

Mrs Newsham’s Gardening Group have been working hard each Friday after school to create a Jubilee Garden. On June 22nd there was special planting ceremony as a Silver Birch tree was added to the garden. During the period of lockdown, school closure and Covid restrictions the school encouraged the children, families and members of the church and the wider local community to tie coloured ribbons to the gates surrounding school. These ribbons represented our thoughts, prayers and feelings at the time, They were there to symbolise remembrance, peace, healing, unity, thanks, friendship, love, hope or anything else personal to the individual.

As we planted the tree we buried all of the ribbons underneath it. Our hope is that the tree will grow over the years and be filled with the joys, hope, prayers and love which lies beneath it in the ribbons.

Thank you to Mrs Newsham and the Gardening Club for creating such a special place in the Jubilee Garden.

By Mark Soady|2022-06-23T10:57:29+00:00June 23rd, 2022|Rufford|

About the Author: Mark Soady

Fr Mark was appointed as Rector of Rufford and Tarleton in April 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold throughout the world. Previously, Mark was Area Dean and Vicar of Abergavenny & Rector of Llanwenarth Citra. Additionally, Mark was a Psychiatric Nurse and Founder/Prior of the Hollywell Community. Prior to Ordination, he was Head of Office to Rt Hon Lord Jenkins of Hillhead OM; and later worked for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (an arm of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office) on democratisation programmes. Fr Mark served in the Royal Army Chaplain’s Department from 1998- 2012 and until 2017 was Chairman of Trustees of the Welsh Warrior: Richard Hunt Foundation, which cares for veterans. As Secretary to the Committee of Anglican Religious Communities in England, he also works with all nuns, monks and friars throughout the Church of England

Rector blesses Rufford CE Schools Post-Covid Tree of Hope.