“It’s a great chance to not only bring church members together, but the local community”: Salford residents gather digitally for Remembrance Sunday

Residents gathered on Sunday for a special service of remembrance at St Thomas’s Church in Pendleton, celebrating the service of the Holy Eucharist and commemorating those who fought in both World Wars.

Reverend Daniel Burton stressed the importance of bringing people together during these difficult times.

He said: “It’s so important […] so many people have been feeling alone, and as a church, we feel it’s a great chance to not only bring church members together, but the local community as well.”

Hymns and accompanying music was played throughout the morning ceremony and broadcast on the Salford All Saints Team Ministry Facebook page.

Talking before the event, Reverend Daniel Burton said: “We would normally have a large service inside the church then gather outside the church to have the two minute silence at the war memorial. Due to the national lockdown, we’re doing a trimmed down version because of the regulations.

“We’re not allowed to have a congregation inside the church, but we can have socially distanced congregation outside.”

Anne Robinson, a regular church attendee from Salford, attended the morning service outside.

She said: “It was a lot quieter than normal, but somehow that made it all the more poignant. It was lovely to just be with other people and have that quiet time to think about what we were remembering.”

Around 400 people attended the Facebook Live service.

Reverend Burton went on to explain some of the history behind the area of Pendleton and the church itself.

He said: “The war memorial outside of the church commemorates around 800 local men who died in the first world war, just from the township of Pendleton.”

Many of the people who attended the Sunday service listened from different areas of the UK as well as from abroad.

Christina Yates is a Salford local and explained how some of her friends in the south of England tuned in and enjoyed the ceremony, as well as a friend in Australia.

She said: “Some of my friends who have now moved down south click on every Sunday morning and we also have another friend who is living in Sydney and listens on a Sunday morning. It brings people together more than ever, especially during these tough times.”

The church broadcast a live service every Sunday on their page.