Hereford Diocese

Hereford Diocese Our worshipping community is made up of 12,800 people of all ages. We are the Church of England in

We are the Church of England in Herefordshire, south Shropshire and some parishes in Worcestershire, Powys and Monmouthshire. The diocese has over 400 church buildings, 356 parishes, 84 schools and academies.

11/06/2026

In this week’s video, the Bishop reflects on the countercultural challenge of Jesus’ teaching and how the Christian life is about transformed hearts, not simply outward morality.

Despite the summer rain today, last night was a glorious summer evening at St Laurence’s, Stretton Parish for the second...
11/06/2026

Despite the summer rain today, last night was a glorious summer evening at St Laurence’s, Stretton Parish for the second of our visitation services.

This year visitations are being led by Bishop Richard.

What is a Visitation?
They are a formal Church of England service that recognises and officially (a legal church requirement) commissions our incredible Churchwardens.

It is always an opportunity to give thanks for churchwardens, who as volunteers work faithfully, committing to love and care for our parish clergy - this is a partnership they promise to uphold with the Bishop. They are also responsible for overseeing the care of church buildings, parish finances and ensuring services run smoothly in our many churches across the diocese - all as volunteers!

Many of those who attended the service last evening have fulfilled their duties for many years but there were also some brand new volunteers.

Thank you for all you do as churchwardens in our beautiful diocese!

10/06/2026

This week’s audio prayer from Dr Isobel celebrates Churches Count on Nature, inviting us to notice the beauty and wonder of creation in our churchyards.

08/06/2026

Matthew 9. 9-13, 18-26
In today’s reading from Matthew’s gospel, we hear that Jesus sat and ate dinner with tax collectors and sinners. This story is told in the gospels of Mark and Luke as well, and they tell us this took place at Matthew’s house. Matthew was a tax collector. As a profession, tax collectors were deemed sinners by the Jewish community because they served Rome. How did Matthew go from being a sinning tax collector to a disciple to (according to many scholars) the author of the gospel of Matthew to Saint Matthew? Do we have to assume he was forgiven his sins? When Jesus quotes Hosea to the Pharisees, in today’s reading, saying ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ he is reminding them that Hosea told the Jews, including the priests and kings of his day, that God would punish them for their transgressions but God would also forgive them. By eating with and, presumably, teaching these so-called sinners, Jesus seems to be holding out the hand of forgiveness which the Pharisees have forgotten in their focus on the Law. The healing miracles which follow show the breadth of God's forgiveness and its power.

06/06/2026

New national safeguarding campaign highlights the four 'Rs'

The Church of England this week launched its new safeguarding campaign promoting four 'Rs': Recognise, Respond, Record and Refer. Called 'It's not just policy, it's personal' the two-week campaign is aimed at giving people the tools to handle abuse incidents within a church setting (or anywhere), with confidence. You can read our blog published today by Nikki Roberts, Assistant Training Officer for the diocese, about why this is everyone's responsibility.

A local Christian in Herefordshire is inviting the community to come together in prayer and creativity through a powerfu...
05/06/2026

A local Christian in Herefordshire is inviting the community to come together in prayer and creativity through a powerful new art initiative ahead of Refugee Week 2026.

The Herefordshire Prayer Beads Project, led by Helen Mealins, encourages people of all ages to reflect on the human cost of war, displacement and migration. Participants write prayers or reflections for refugees people around the world, fold them into origami units, and help create a collective set of prayer beads that will be displayed publicly.

Helen, who grew up in Lebanon during the civil war, brings a deeply personal perspective. Having witnessed the realities of displacement first-hand, she hopes the project will foster compassion, welcome, and understanding in Herefordshire—especially at a time when migration is often divisive.

Supported by the Diocese of Hereford and local volunteers, the project has already engaged over 700 participants. More are invited to take part during Refugee Week (15–21 June) 2026, celebrating this year’s theme of courage.

📩 Groups can get involved by requesting a postal pack of materials from Helen.

Photocredit: Helen Melins, Herefordshire Prayer Beads Project

04/06/2026

This week, Bishop Richard reflects on the story of faith that has shaped our diocese for 1,350 years, and how the mission of sharing the Gospel continues in every generation.

03/06/2026

As part of the ‘It’s not just Policy, it’s Personal’ campaign, Julia Oulton, one of our Parish Safeguarding Officers, shares a prayer that reminds us safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

02/06/2026

It's not just policy . . .
This week sees the start of the Church of England's safeguarding campaign, "It's Not Just Policy, It's Personal". The camapign focuses on confident reporting of and responding to abuse, using the 4 Rs: Recognise, Respond, Record, Refer. The Diocesan Safeguarding Officer, Lisa Anderson, says: "The campaign seeks to raise awareness of how to report safeguarding concerns and to encourage all of us to be clear, confident, and proactive in responding well. I would warmly encourage parishes to take part where they can, and use this opportunity to strengthen parish safeguarding practice and awareness locally."

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The Palace, Palace Yard
Hereford
HR49BL

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