Scores of people attended a special Evensong celebrating the ministry of the Archdeacon of Carlisle who is soon to retire.

The Ven Richard Pratt will step down from the role at the end of March after more than 26 years serving the Diocese of Carlisle in various roles.

On Sunday night people gathered at St Mary’s Harrington for the special service to thank Richard and his wife Diane for all their years of ministry.

Preaching on passages from Exodus and the Gospel of St Luke, Richard focused on a theme of preparation and took time to register his thanks to a number of people.

He said: “Most of the people who are involved with preparation are invisible, aren’t they: the people who get the altar ready and church ready before we all arrive, the people who get tables ready in a restaurant or cash up in a shop at the end of the day.

“It seems to me that one of the tasks of the church is to make these people entirely visible and to honour them for all their work. So, my first thank you is to all those who over the past sixteen and a bit years have got church ready for me when I have arrived to give a service. Thank you for all that hidden work.”

Richard first joined the Diocese in 1997 as Priest-in-Charge of St Cuthbert’s with St Mary’s in Carlisle from 1997 before his appointment as Archdeacon of West Cumberland in 2009.

From 2020 he served as Associate Archdeacon of West Cumberland whilst also holding parochial duties for Maryport, before his appointment as Archdeacon of Carlisle last year.

Richard has also held a number of other Diocesan roles, serving as Communications Officer for 12 years and then assisting with communications from 2009. He is also the chair of the Diocesan Advisory Committee – overseeing church planning matters – and for four years has been chair of the board of Rydal Hall, the Diocese’s Christian retreat and conference centre near Ambleside. He was made an Honorary Canon of Carlisle Cathedral in 2002.

The Acting Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Rev Rob Saner-Haigh, led the Evensong service. He presented Richard and Diane with various gifts including a bouquet of flowers, a camellia to be planted in the garden of their new home in the north of Scotland and two cheques after people across the Diocese offered up donations.

Bishop Rob told them: “We will miss you and I hope that you know you will go with our prayers, with our love and with our huge gratitude for our partnership in the Lord.”

ENDS

For further information contact Dave Roberts, Diocesan Head of Communications, on 07469 153658 or at communications@carlislediocese.org.uk.