THE Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Tim Thornton spent two days in Bude and Marhamchurch as part of his Pastoral Visit to the Deanery of Stratton. There are 19 parishes in Stratton Deanery which stretches from Morwenstow on the northernmost edge of the Diocese of Truro, right down to Forrabury and Minster at Boscastle.

Pastoral visits have been undertaken by Bishops in Cornwall for many years, and involve the Bishop spending a whole day in a parish or group of parishes, worshipping with the local community and enjoying an opportunity to meet and talk to clergy, Readers, churchwardens and local people, and to see, firsthand, the needs of the area

"Stratton Deanery is as far away from Lis Escop, where I live on the outskirts of Truro, as I can go and still be in the Diocese," said Bishop Tim "and one of the things I want to do over the next three months or so is to look at the way in which all of these 19 largely rural parishes can best be served by the clergy and trained lay leaders whom we have ­available."

The Rector of Bude and Marhamchurch, Canon Christopher Scott, retired last year, so these two parishes are currently being looked after by the Revd Peter Judson, the Assistant Curate. "I thoroughly enjoyed my time in both parishes," said Bishop Tim, "and it was great to be able to spend so much time at the Church of England Primary School at Marhamchurch, where the Acting Headteacher, Jackie Bellis and her staff and the children made me so welcome." The Bishop said that a visit midweek also enabled him to share the kind of worship that went on during the week "It's very easy for people to think 'Vicars only work on Sundays'," said the Bishop, "but there is an enormous amount going on all day and every day in our parishes, and that involves lay people as well who have tremendous gifts to offer and really want to be involved in the pastoral work in the communities where they live."

The Bishop will be visiting all of the parishes in the Deanery in the next few months, and this will include a visit with the Archdeacon of Bodmin, Clive Cohen, to Stratton Deanery Synod in July. "That will be a good opportunity to take stock of the future needs of this area, and how parishes and people can best work together, in a variety of ways, in one of the most rural parts of the Diocese," said Bishop Tim "where they have some brilliant ideas about ministry which we can share elsewhere."