On Tuesday April 7th Revd Viv Ashworth was Licensed as Priest In Charge of St Bede Bolton Le Moors and Lostock St Thomas and St John Lostock by the Bishop of Bolton The Rt Revd Chris Edmondson assisted by the Arch Deacon of Bolton The Venerable David Bailey.

There were many Readers and Clergy from the deanery present and also representatives of other Churches to greet Viv and Her Husband Revd Tim Ashworth as Hon Assistant Curate of the two parishes. Those present were:- Cllr Barbara Ronson- Deputy Mayor of Bolton, Revd Susan Aveyard, Minister of the Church of the Nazarene, Southend Street, Daubhill, Bolton; Captain Darren Cox, Bolton South Salvation Army; Revd Fr. Alan Swift, Parish Priest of St Ethelberts Roman Catholic Church Deane; Revd John Howard Norman, Methodist Minister of Horwich and Chew Moor; Mrs June Roberts, Deputy Head Teacher of St Bede Junior Mixed and infants C of E Primary School, Morris Green: Head Teacher of Lostock C. P. School; Constable Andrew McMath, Community Policeman for the Morris Green and Deane Area; Mr Iqbal Essa J.P. on Behalf of the Muslim/Islamic Community of Bolton, and Mr Krys Stankiewicz, on behalf of the Polish Community of Bolton.

There were approximately 360 people present from afar as Bristol, North Yorkshire and Blackburn and other parts of Lancashire to support and welcome Viv and Tim to their new Ministry.

What a wonderful opportunity it was for us all to join together in worship and praise to God our Father for this opportunity to welcome Viv and Tim to their new ministry. We pray that God will richly bless them and our combined ministry's to the furtherance of the Kingdom of God on earth. Jesus our Saviour is the unseen head at every table, together we seek to reach out to the people of our two parishes for the good of the Gospel of Jesus, that all who hear the message of Salvation may be saved and accept the gift of eternal Life in Christ.

To all those who read this message, and who live within the Parish and even further afield, our love and prayers extend to you, and welcome you to our churches to engage with us in Christian Love and Prayer for the good and redemption of all those who were made in the image of God. That means YOU AND ME! We look forward to welcoming you to our fellowship in the name of Jesus our Savour. Please come and meet us, we would love to meet you and welcome you to be partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven her on earth.

Be yourself, we are here for you and welcome you in Jesus' Name. If you are of a different religious persuasion, we look forward to speaking with you and welcoming you, that we may go forward in unity to promote understanding and harmony between different religions, so that together we may worship the one true God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph

Click here for a Gallery of photographs taken at St. Bede by John Heaton & Malcolm Ryding.