St Edmund’s Catholic Parish on Westgate Street celebrates cultural diversity of churchgoers

A Suffolk church has celebrated the cultural diversity of its worshippers with an international mass.

St Edmund’s Catholic Parish, on Westgate Street in Bury St Edmunds, invited worshippers from different nationalities to lead prayers and share food on Sunday, May 28.

The chosen day was a special one in the calendars of Catholics across the world. It was the feast of the Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the followers of Jesus.

Father David Bagstaff, the parish priest at the church, said: “This celebration was very important for two reasons.

“Firstly, it was a celebration of the great feast of the Pentecost. Secondly, it celebrated the diversity of our parish community.

“No matter where they come from in the world, everyone can be a part of our parish – and we are very lucky to have people from so many different countries.”

This was St Edmund’s Catholic Parish’s first international mass for four years – and the first one ever for Father Bagstaff, who has worked there for four years.

The service at 10.30am was joined by around 300 people. It included a special flag-carrying ceremony, in which the different nations of the world were represented. Churchgoers who were born and grew up outside the UK also led prayers.

The mass was followed by the serving of an array of dishes made by parish members in the crypt. This included Polish, Filipino and Indian food.

Father Bagstaff continued: “St Edmund’s has always been a welcoming parish, but it has become even more so since the pandemic.

“We had people standing on the door to make sure people sat in a way that was Covid safe, and we have kept them to welcome people into the church.

“That is part of what we should be – a welcoming community, where everyone feels at home.”

Polish and Indian communities in Bury St Edmunds have special services at the parish in the languages of these countries. Father Bagstaff said most people still join in the all-parish services as well.