Deanery Garden

The Deanery Flat garden

What can be nicer than a pond? As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the Eco Team is working on transforming part of the Deanery garden, previously growing potatoes and long before that, chickens, into an area for British plants and wildlife. Centre to this is a pond, since ponds are really valuable resources for a wide range of insects and amphibians, as well as birds and small mammals which use the water. Recently a small team armed themselves with spades, forks, heavy duty gloves and energy, and dug out the pond, as well as clearing some of the non-British grasses that have colonised the area. There are, happily, many British wild flowers already in the area, and we will be preserving those, laying down paths through the area so anyone can use it. The Education Department is interested in using the pond for school visits, and we are working with them to make it safe for children. The Flower Guild is making progress with another part of the garden, which they plan to use to grow plants for their amazing displays in the Cathedral – another aspect of sustainability and the Cathedral’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

The third mark of mission of the Anglican Communion is “to respond to human need by loving service”, and the fourth “to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation”. The Cathedral’s Mission Statement includes to “stand with St Alban for truth and justice”. St Alban, of course, is the patron saint of refugees, and we have a couple of articles about refugees and asylum seekers in this issue.

Refugee support: offering sanctuary

The City of Sanctuary movement began in Sheffield in 2005, under the guidance of the Rev’d Inderjit Bhogal. It aims to develop a network of towns, cities, organisations and individuals committed to creating a culture of solidarity, inclusivity and welcome for those seeking sanctuary. Sheffield became the first City of Sanctuary in 2007 and since then, hundreds of local councils and other bodies have been awarded Sanctuary status. Inderjit preached powerfully at Albantide on the church’s role in offering welcome and hospitality to those seeking sanctuary. Inspired by the example of Alban, the Cathedral is committed to a ministry of inclusivity and welcome for all; the Sanctuary movement represents a public demonstration of that commitment. The St Albans City of Sanctuary group, of which I am a member, has been set up to work with the district council, churches and other local organisations in gathering support for Sanctuary status for St Albans. We are seeking pledges from across the city and district to support this bid. If you would like to find out more, register your interest or pledge support; please visit the group’s website at St Albans City of Sanctuary | Building a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary.