Churches Together in Costessey

St Walstan’s enjoys very friendly relationships with all the other Christian churches in the area. The clergy attend regular fraternals with the Anglicans, Baptists and Methodists from Costessey, separately, a fraternal with the Anglicans, Methodists and Evangelicals from Drayton, Taverham and Thorpe Marriott.

We hold a United Service at all the major festivals of the year and co-operate in various events. The Services and other activities are advertised in our weekly bulletin.

We have also established an annual pilgrimage from our church in Costessey to the last remaining St Walstan’s Well near the Anglican church in Bawburgh.

This church was the original burial place of St Walstan and his shrine was there until the reformation; the church has the same dedication as our parish, St. Mary and St Walstan. The pilgrimage normally takes place around 30th May, which is the feast of St Walstan. We are usually joined by the vicar and some Bawburgh parishioners. After a short service at the Well, weather permitting, we have a picnic.

As a parish, we totally accept that one of the most important aims for all Christian churches is the restoration of full, visible unity, while appreciating that this will require much effort on all sides. Our prayer is that of Jesus, “That they may be one”. As has been said many times, “For Catholics, ecumenism and seeking unity is not and cannot be an optional extra”.