At St John the Baptist Church, Fleet St, Coventry, the beginning of November until Wednesday November 14 sees the Church open every day (times vary) for prayer and reflection as it celebrating the Coventry Peace Festival.
It will be a chance to see a copy of the Black Prince prayer, our superb Stations of the Cross which were commissioned from a firm in Bavaria after WWII and a chance to see our magnificent War Memorial Window.
There will be a flower Peace Trail, a Deadman’s penny in flowers, exhibitions and a poppy sculpture suspended from the pulpit, which an eight foot structure full of poppies dedicated to the men dedicated in our War Window.
The weekend of Saturday Nov 10 and Sunday November 11 sees the church open until 4pm for our World War I Memorial Day on Saturday and Remembrance Day on the Sunday. Both days will see recitals, dramatic readings, prayers, a chance to hear our striking Bechstein piano now fully restored and an exhibition taking place in this beautiful medieval church.
The Rector, Father Dexter Bracey will be conducting a special service on the Saturday which will include a roll call of the men listed in the window at 1pm with poetry readings before and after.
Our Sunday November 11 Remembrance Day Service begins at 10am, and is scheduled to end at 11am to the strains of the Last Post. There will be another service at 6pm for people who have missed out during the events of the day in the city.
As we mark the centenary of the Armistice this year, St Johns Rector Father Dexter Bracey feels ” it is important to remember all those who paid the ultimate price of the First World War, and to honour them, particularly those from this city and our parish which includes some of the city centre, Spon St, Spon End and the Albany Road end of Earlsdon”
During the weekend you can just turn up for guided tours and the Church also will be staging mystery trails, WWI poetry readings and a family walk. If conditions are good, two of the visitor team will be operating as radio hams, being members of WACRAL ( World association of Christian Radio Amateurs and Listeners), trying to contact radio hams worldwide as we commemorate those brave men and women who gave up their lives in such a bitter struggle.
A stunning photographic exhibition of the church is on permanent display in the hall, which will be open for refreshments on both days. Fr Dexter Bracey, will conduct services each day in our side chapel, and will be on hand most of the time. “We are always pleased to welcome visitors to our church, but during this weekend we particularly welcome everyone to experience the great sense of peace that the building has.”