Irchester vicar reaching out to the village and a worldwide congregation liking Facebook Live services

A village vicar has been keeping in touch with her flock during the coronavirus pandemic using social media and live streaming services and gained a global following.

Revd Catherine Lomas, who is the priest of St Katharine's Church with Stanton Cross, had to close the doors to the 13th century building following advice from the Church of England.

Moving two weekly services online, Ms Lomas has been able to reach a wider audience seeking comfort and connection during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

She said: "We usually have a congregation of about 50 people but our Facebook Live has enabled us to reach 200 to 300 people.

"A lot of the village is joining in, it's that sense of community, that church is seen as a place to turn to.

"We've had people who left the village able to return to worship with us and families who have had funerals are keeping in touch.

"One man is in Australia and another in Fiji who joins us for morning prayer. He watches us in the evening before he goes to bed. He found us through Facebook.

"Being on Facebook Live is obviously very different. Forty out of our 50 regular worshippers are online but we have two who listen on the phone. A friend puts their receiver next to the microphone and they can listen in."

Ms Lomas has been broadcasting from her vicarage but recently the rules have changed, allowing members of the clergy to return to their churches for private prayer and to video services.

She added: "I love all my congregation dearly. They message me quite a lot and I phone them. I have made a few socially-distanced visits to sort out funeral arrangements where I've stood at the garden gate.

"I've embraced the live stream and I'm thinking of new ways to use the platform."

You can join in the St Katharine's Facebook Live events by clicking here for morning prayer at 9.30am every Thursday and Sundays at 10am.

For other Church of England live streamed services click here.

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