Our dear friend, priest and pastor the Reverend John Taylor has now retired as Vicar of Prescot.
We are ever-grateful for his steadfast, loving service to the people of Prescot and the parishioners of St Mary’s and St Paul’s churches, and we pray for a long and happy retirement for him and Martin.
He has written the following to everyone in the parish:
Dear Friends,
In some ways my final service as Vicar of Prescot was quite surreal! Not least because there were, at most, only eight people in church. Having said this, I found it very moving, and I am told that about 700 people have viewed the service online. Thank you for the many cards, letters and messages of goodwill.
From the parish I received a very generous cheque of £1000, a wind-up wall clock (because I am the one who always wound the clock in the clergy vestry), a purple stole embroidered with a beautified design copied from one of my favourite pieces of needlework in the church and a book of letters written by people from Prescot. Reading these letters is very emotional and humbling and will take a great deal of time.
From the choir there was a gift of £50 in cash and an icon of the Holy Family, and a statue of St Mary from the servers. Evelyn Avenue School sent lots of letters and good wishes. At our school, St Mary and St Paul’s, we had a special assembly with the children and staff taking part in their bubbles, and I was presented with a beautiful icon of St Paul; this had been painted by our good friend Fr Christopher Perrins. There were also gifts from the Mothers’ Union, MATT Group and many individuals.
Martin has asked me to say a big thank-you for the £50 worth of garden vouchers he received.
God bless everyone and Prescot; its churches, schools and people will always be in my prayers.
Love to everyone,
John
