The Church of England in Norfolk and North-East Suffolk
Press Release
TO: LOCAL MEDIA
FROM: Jan McFarlane on Wednesday 7 November 2007

Visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury - Press Briefing
Visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury - Press Briefing
As you know, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, is to visit the Diocese on Friday 9th-Sunday 11th November. He has an extremely busy schedule for the three days. The main events of interest to the media are as follows: (Please note that apart from Sunday morning, all events are by invitation only.)

FRIDAY 09 NOVEMBER from 10.30am-12noon : ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, ATTLEBOROUGH The Archbishop will meet the Revd Dr Lorna Allies, Rural Adviser for the Diocese of Norwich and the East Anglia District of the Methodist Church who will introduce a series of presentations by local people on post-office closures, community integration for migrant workers, farmers’ markets and micro-businesses. At 11.45, the Archbishop will reflect on what he has seen. FRIDAY 09 NOVEMBER from 12.30pm-2.30pm : NORFOLK AND NORWICH UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL The Archbishop will meet David Prior, Chair of the NNUH NHS Trust and the Revd Colin Reed, Head of Chaplaincy Services. He will discuss issues related to hospital chaplaincy, have lunch with representatives of Serco and Octagon, and visit the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. (Please note that Hayley Gerrard, Press officer at the NNUH, is handling media enquiries for this part of the visit – 01603 289821) FRIDAY 09 NOVEMBER from 2.45pm-4.15pm : TYNDALL CENTRE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE at the UEA The Archbishop will be met by Professor Andrew Watkinson, Director of the Tyndall Centre, who will chair an informal round-table discussion with five of their students covering topics including the effect of climate change on architecture, carbon reduction and coastal erosion. The Archbishop will respond. The Vice Chancellor of the UEA, Dr Bill Macmillan, will join the group at 3.30pm. SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER from 10am-12.30pm : NORWICH CATHEDRAL The Archbishop will address over 600 clergy and key Lay leaders on the subject of, “Being Christian: Finding and Keeping Faith in Today’s World”. He will be looking at how Christians can cope with the confusion of reconciling their faith – which they understand to be the source of all that is good in their lives - with the national media image of faith as being the source of all conflict. The main address is from 10.10am-11.00am. The Archbishop will take questions from the congregation from 11.30am-12.15pm. SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER from 1.00pm-2.30pm ; THE HORSTEAD CENTRE The Horstead Centre is the Diocesan Youth and Children’s Residential Activity Centre and the Archbishop will be meeting a group of young people from across the Diocese who will be demonstrating their agility at climbing and archery. The Bishop of Norwich may even demonstrate his prowess at the zip-wire (but I can’t guarantee it!) SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER from 2.50pm-4.30pm : ST LAWRENCE’S, SOUTH WALSHAM The Archbishop will be introduced to seven “Fresh Expressions of Church” from across the Diocese, including the Broads and Rivers Open Churches Project, the Norwich Christian Meditation Centre, the Church Stand at Wedding Exhibitions and a youth initiative “4all” from South Repps. SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER 5.00pm-6.30pm : BOOK LAUNCH AT GRANARY COURT, BISHOP’S HOUSE The Archbishop will launch a new translation of the life of St Fursey by Professor Oliver Rackham of Cambridge University. St Fursey was a 7th century Celtic missionary to East Anglia. The Bishop of Norwich recently conducted the 10th anniversary pilgrimage to Burgh Castle in Norfolk, the site of St Fursey’s monastery. SUNDAY 11 NOVEMBER at 10am : WYMONDHAM ABBEY The Archbishop will take part in a Solemn Eucharist as part of the Abbey’s 900th Anniversary celebrations. (NB: Contact for this part of the visit is Canon Christopher Davies, Vicar of Wymondham, 01953 602269) In addition to these events, the Archbishop will meet a large number of local people who have been invited to an evening reception on Friday night and a dinner on Saturday night. Please contact the Revd Jan McFarlane on 07818 422395 if you would like to be present at any of these events. I also have briefing papers for each section of the visit with further information and background notes. ENDS