St Mary’s Church in Frome is transforming an old gardener’s shed into a dedicated 24-hour prayer space, marking a significant step in their efforts to build a prayerful community around the church and the adjacent old vicarage.
Rev Liz Dudley, the vicar of St Mary’s, is collaborating with Frome Pioneers Elizabeth and Andrew Alden to develop this vision. The vicarage, an elegant Arts and Crafts building connected to the church hall, serves as a focal point for the community’s activities.
The emerging community gathers bi-weekly to explore various prayer practices, including Ignatian, Taize, Centering Prayer, and Northumbrian traditions. A dedicated group within the community is also working on a shared rule of life and values.
Andrew Alden envisions the project as a dual effort, aiming to create both a dispersed and residential community. Inspired by visits to Hilfield and St Anselm at Lambeth Palace, the group seeks to embody a communal lifestyle centred on prayer.
The ‘Prayer Shed’ is set to be inaugurated during the Diocesan Wave of Prayer on 6-7 September, with Archbishop Justin Welby scheduled to visit and pray in the new space during his tour of Bath and Wells.
