A NEW HEALTH and well-being centre is set to be unveiled in a historic Flintshire church this weekend.
The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andrew John, will visit St James' Church in Holywell to launch the centre on Sunday (October 20).
The church is part of the St Winefride’s Holy Well site in the town and has been extensively refurbished to offer a café, a central space for major events and services, meeting and consulting rooms and a Parish Nursing Service.
The Parish Nursing Service will become the only one in Wales at this time and will provide both healthcare information and education, as well as individual appointments - referring people back to the NHS or other local partners as appropriate.
The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andrew John and the Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron will formally bless and commission 'Well-Being @ St James'' at a special service. During the service, Margaret Mort will be commissioned as the only Parish Nurse in Wales.
Archbishop Andrew John said: “I am delighted to be joining with the community of Holywell and the Bishop of St Asaph to formally open Well-Being @ St James' and re-dedicate this historic and significant church. It’s exciting to see this building discover a new purpose to meet the needs of the local community while recognising its importance as an ancient place of healing and pilgrimage.”
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The Vicar of Holywell, Fr Dominic Austin Cawdell OGS, has overseen the half a million-pound refurbishment project. He said: “Holywell has been a place of Christian healing and pilgrimage for centuries. St Winefride’s Well is reputedly the longest continual place of pilgrimage in Europe and is an important part of Wales’ national heritage.
“I am delighted that we have been able to re-open St James’ to meet the needs of the local community in a relevant and meaningful way. The Well Bean Cafe will be affordable and offer employment opportunities to those with mental health issues or learning difficulties in collaboration with local partners.
"The parish nursing service will offer essential and accessible health information. At the same time, we have restored the main sanctuary of the church to its former glory. It will be the home for larger events, such as fundraising concerts and recitals, as well as large funeral, wedding and baptism services.”
Bishop Gregory, the Bishop of St Asaph said: “I am delighted by the dedication and hard work of the priest and people of St James to bring renewal to their church, and to reach out in service to the community. Jesus taught us that health and salvation go hand in hand, and this modern health facility in a place of ancient healing could not be more appropriate.”
In summer 2023, the Church in Wales Bishop of St Asaph and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Wrexham signed an historic agreement to recognise and celebrate the significance of the holy well and Shrine to Saint Winefride in Holywell.
Both bishops pledged to work co-operatively towards the development of the whole site in Holywell as an integrated place of worship, pilgrimage and tourism, while maintaining the distinctive tradition of worship associated with the Shrine.
The formal opening of Well-Being @ St James' will take place at 4pm on Sunday, October 20 and all are welcome to attend.
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