FOR the second year in a row, Covid-19 restrictions meant the traditional procession of witness on Good Friday could not take place in Barnard Castle.
Adhering to regulations, a scaled back version was devised leading from St Mary’s Parish Church, where Revd Alec Harding and curate Revd Sarah Cliff said prayers and gave readings in the church grounds.
Robed and carrying a cross they gave readings at several locations in the town centre before joining Revd Graham Cutler in the grounds of the Methodist Church where he gave a reading and a prayer.
St Mary’s director of music, Annette Butters, was joined by Geoff Lowson and Debby Brown to provide music in the parish church grounds and at the Methodist Church.
Revd Cutler said: “The rule of six means there was a limit to who can attend so there was no procession of witness.”
Three church services on Easter Sunday took place with the earliest being live streamed. The second service was hosted by Zoom.
Revd Cliff said: “We have changed so much in the last year and the church has been pulled forward by 50 years. I have been looking through our training handbooks and I couldn’t find anything about learning how to put together online videos.”
