St Anthony’s Marks Diocesan Jubilee

Parishioners, families and friends gathered at St Anthony’s Church in Fakenham for a joyful summer BBQ to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of East Anglia.

The event brought together members of the parish community for an afternoon of fellowship, good food and shared celebration. The gathering was hosted by parish priest Fr Dominic Amoah, and parishioners were delighted to welcome back former parish priest Fr Andrew Neate for the occasion. Visits from priests from neighbouring parishes and several sisters from the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham added to the sense of occasion and were greatly appreciated by all who attended.

There was an excellent turnout, with many families present and plenty of activities to keep the younger members of the parish entertained.

Alongside the celebrations, the parish took the opportunity to raise funds towards the restoration of its much-loved stained-glass windows. These historic windows, installed in 1905, were produced by the renowned church stained-glass makers Jones & Willis and feature the arms of Bishop Arthur Riddell of Northampton, Pope Pius X and the Diocese of Northampton, of which Norfolk then formed a part.

Sadly, the windows have deteriorated significantly over the years and are now in urgent need of repair. The cost of the restoration work is close to £40,000 and is beyond what the parish can currently afford, making fundraising efforts such as the BBQ an important step towards preserving this beautiful part of St Anthony’s heritage for future generations. While the scale of the work required remains daunting, the parish hopes that the wider community may help secure the future of these remarkable windows for generations to come.

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