Sheltered from the rain under an umbrella, one of the Assistant Bishops of Bath & Wells carried out an ancient ceremony to consecrate the remaining section of the Burial Ground at St. Andrew’s church. A small section has been left for villagers who do not wish to be buried in consecrated ground.
The ceremony began with Diana Hassan, chairman of Congresbury Parish Council, reading a petition, on behalf of the Parish Council, to the Bishop, the Rt. Rev. George Cassidy, asking him to consecrate the land. The Bishop responded and conducted the service, leading the small gathering in prayer, assisted by Rev. Matthew Thomson. The Deputy Registrar of Bath & Wells, Janet Saxon, in wig and gown, read the official authorisation and the ceremony ended with the land being blessed.
Michael Greaves, who attended the ceremony at the end of April, was present when the upper section of the Parish Council Burial Ground was consecrated in 1982, and remembered it was also raining then, and he and Derrick Holmes took shelter in the shed.
