Bury St Edmunds churches to hold services marking Racial Justice Sunday

Churches in Bury St Edmunds and surrounding areas are to hold special services to educate and raise awareness of racism.

St Peter's Church in Thurston, St Mary's Church in Bury and St Edmundsbury Cathedral are among those taking part in Racial Justice Sunday on February 13 - an initiative started by non-profit organisation, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

Different dominations of churches will create services to educate its congregation about the issues ethnic minority people may face in their lives.

One person who has continually advocated for racial equality in the community is the Rev Ben Edwards, vicar of Great Barton and Thurston.

He said: "The order of service on Sunday will be a collection of payers, sermons, illustrations and times of penitence so that we're continuing to delve into ourselves to find places where we have been complicit in racism in our pasts - whether that's conscious or unconscious - and renewing that commitment to keep a check on things.

"We're asking God to keep our eyes, ears and mouths open so that when we see things we can call it out," he added.

The Rev Simon Harvey, vicar of St Mary's with St Peter's, has also been committed to racial justice.

He said: "We decided to join with other churches who are using this opportunity to celebrate diversity and difference and to recognise the importance of doing better. Racial justice is something we need to continue to work for.

"The church hasn't always got it right. Like other institutions in our country, the church has sometimes been neglectful of racial justice.

"But it's not about the church telling people how to do it, it's about recognising that we ourselves could do better."

The service at St Peter's will take place at 10.30am.

The service at St Mary's will take place at 9.15am and 11am.

For more information about Racial Justice Sunday, see here.