Two churches within a Norfolk benefice are being lit up as a “beacon of hope” during the coronavirus crisis.
Lights on the towers of Great Ellingham St James Church and Rockland St Peter Church are being switched on every evening as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Typically the lights are only illuminated at the start of Advent until Epiphany in January, but amid unprecedented circumstances they will stay on for the foreseeable future.
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Christina Mason, priest-in-charge at the Shellrock benefice, said: “On this particular occasion, because we are not able to meet, we would like to have a reminder of the presence of the church in Great Ellingham and Rockland St Peter.
“Doing this brings a degree of comfort to people. We’re doing our best to keep in touch, but it is still not the same as meeting for Sunday worship.
“We are coming to the most sacred time of the year. The sadness is that this is happening at a time when we are longing to be together.”
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