All Saints Church Childwall

Since moving to Childwall in 1961, the Church has played a major role in our lives. We became members of the congregation at All Saints’ when Ken Thornton was the vicar. He had great charisma and charm and was a real “hands on” minister. Over the years, our boys participated in youth activities including The Boys Brigade and Pathfinders.

During the late 1990′s, my wife Dilys, developed ill health problems and in September 2004 was admitted to The Royal Liverpool Hospital with breast cancer. When she was released for outpatient treatment at The Linda McCartney Centre, an immediate visitor to our home was Chris Thomas, combining her role as Reader at All Saints’ with liaison nurse at The Royal. Chris’s visits were swiftly followed by visits from Jane Durham and also Joan McClelland and Hilary Wild, whom we had known over the years and from our early days at All Saints’.

Gary Renison arrived in September 2005 and although he did not know Dilys, he showed great compassion and thoughtfulness during his ministration to me at The Holy Communion service on Thursday mornings.

In May 2006, Dilys was admitted to the Marie Curie Hospice, Woolton, and spent four weeks there before she died on 17th June 2006. I cannot speak too highly of the medical and devoted care which Dilys received from the professional staff at Marie Curie, and during that time, she was visited by Gary, Joan and Hilary. They were a great source of comfort. Dilys’s funeral was conducted by Gary on 22nd June 2006 and three months later, her ashes were interred at a moving ceremony in the Memorial Garden at the church.

I now wish to emphasise that the pastoral care which I have experienced has not been limited solely to the good people I have mentioned; it extends over a whole range of so many whom I have been associated with at the church. Visits, ‘phone calls, good will messages, expressions of sympathy, and the opportunity to converse with friendly parishioners, have all played a major part in the life of myself and my family. There are so many I could name and I am indebted to them all.

Pastoral Care cannot be left entirely to our admirable Pastoral Care Assistant, Joan McClelland, no matter how dedicated she is. As I have mentioned, this has been demonstrated in abundance by so many at All Saints’ who have played a part in our lives; sadly some have passed on, like dear Fred Dugdale, for example.

I thank God for Ken Thornton and his successsors, for their ministration to me and my family at All Saints’. And I also thank God for all the good people at All Saints for their pastoral care and support throughout our lives in Childwall.