True! Parish nurses work through churches offering health education, advice & support to people of all faiths & none a/c to population need, scope of practice & local vision, not replicating @NHS but an extra layer of holistic whole person support, intentional in spiritual care.

@ParishNursingUK providing education, standards, policy, advice, professional supervision & support for parish nurses and church partners as they explore, plan & deliver parish nursing in their locality; and mange the amazing team at the charity supporting all of the above. Phew!

I find myself uneasy seeing Durham Cathedral presented as a 90s nightclub. This is not simply an impressive medieval building; it is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and encounter with God. Here we honour St Cuthbert, whose life was rooted in prayer, and St Bede, who spent his life seeking truth and holiness. Our churches should be places where the sacred is protected and cherished. There are many places for dancing; I think a cathedral carries a different memory and purpose.

Michaelmas, on 29 September, is not only an important festival in the church year but in England also historically the autumn quarter-day. It marked a moment of transition: the shift from the harvest season into later autumn, the start of new contracts and new school terms.

At #FourFortyFour, here’s a bit of #FridayFun for you…👇

I could not have put it better myself 😉⬇️ We have had an excellent @ParishNursingUK national symposium and I am looking forward to planning our international event for 2027 😊

Absolutely delighted and excited to say @rashielee has been named as finalists in the @scottishcare Care Home Awards 2026 under the 'Palliative & End of Life Care' & 'Meaningful Activities' categories 🎉🎉🎉 Thanks to all who shared their stories. Our story is your story ❤️

We have had such a happy, busy, reflective, restorative time at Symposium that we have overlooked sharing it with you! So many new Parish Nurses sharing with experienced colleagues and excellent speakers and workshops fostered a wonderful atmosphere of learning and reflection.

Starting today, the parish nursing family is gathering for shared learning & development, rest, reflection and fellowship at our annual residential symposium. We can’t wait to see everyone for Hope Through Care:Nursing Neighbourhoods Back to Health. Travel safely everyone!

Churchill on Brevity

I am relieved that the Assisted Dying Bill has been defeated in the House of Commons. I say this not only as someone who may be considered vulnerable, but also as a Christian and a priest who has spent much of his ministry accompanying people through illness, suffering, dying and death. My opposition to assisted dying does not stem from a lack of compassion for those enduring terrible suffering. Nor do I question the sincerity of those who supported the Bill, many of whom have witnessed distressing deaths. Their experiences must be heard with respect. But, in my understanding of the Gospel, compassion means accompanying the suffering person, relieving pain and refusing to abandon them, rather than deliberately ending their life. As a Christian, I believe that every human life possesses inherent, God-given dignity. That dignity does not depend on health, independence, usefulness, physical ability or productivity. Illness may change what I can do, but it cannot change who I am before God. As a priest, I have stood beside the dying, prayed with families, administered the sacraments, and witnessed those extraordinary moments when medicine can do no more, yet human love can still do so much. There is a profound difference between accepting that death has come and intentionally causing it. Christianity does not require that every possible medical treatment be continued indefinitely. There comes a time when treatment properly gives way to palliative care, comfort, prayer and accompaniment. As someone who could be considered vulnerable, I am particularly concerned about the subtle pressures that assisted dying could create. Coercion does not always come from someone saying, "You should die." It may arise quietly within the vulnerable person: "I am becoming a burden. My family is exhausted. My care costs too much. Perhaps everyone would be better off without me." That possibility troubles me profoundly. I want to belong to a society that unequivocally tells the elderly, the disabled, the seriously ill and the dying: your life has not become less valuable because you need us. Dependency is not indignity. Today's vote must therefore not be an excuse for complacency among those of us who opposed assisted dying. If we believe assisted dying is not the answer, we have a moral obligation to offer better alternatives: properly funded hospices, excellent palliative care, adequate social care, support for families, and genuine companionship for those approaching death. For Christians, especially, opposition to assisted dying is credible only when accompanied by radical compassion. Saint Paul tells us to "bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2). That is the Christian response to vulnerability: not eliminating the burden but helping to carry it. So, I give thanks for today's decision, but my gratitude must become commitment. As a Christian, a priest and someone conscious of my own vulnerability, I want a society in which, when a frightened person whispers, "I am a burden," our answer is immediate: "Your life remains precious. You are still one of us. We will care for you, accompany you and love you until the natural end of your life." For me, that is more than a political stance. It is an expression of the Gospel.