Two women from Weyburn joined a group of seven from the Anglican diocese to visit a partner diocese in England, and to see the work of the church in its home country.

Catherine Harper, pastor of All Saints Anglican Church, and parishioner Debbie Hubick made the journey from June 5 to 22 through Staffordshire and Shropshire in England, which is part of the diocese of Lichfield. That diocese is partnered with the diocese of Qu'Appelle, of which the Weyburn church is a member. Others in the group visiting in England were from West Malaysia and Germany.

"We saw the church at work in the community, and a number of projects started by the church but are now funded by the government," explained Harper.

One such project, called Breathing Space, provides employment and training on how to start a business. Another, called The Vine, works with young people who have difficulty staying in school and would normally drop out. This program also runs a restaurant, and the young people are given job training to work in it.

A project called the Small Street Center provides housing and life skills for the homeless aged 16 to 25 years old.

The two women also took in a one-day workshop that highlighted global issues, such as fair trade, poverty, the need for a just society, and other Third World issues.

They visited Church of England churches in both the large urban setting but also in small villages, and Harper said she found there was a real difference in how the church operates in the two settings.

"In the cities the churches are more involved in social projects. In the village we saw the priest having a key role in the everyday life of the village," she said.

Also of interest to the Canadians was a visit to Derwen College, which is a residential college for people with physical and mental handicaps, and a 300-bed orthopedic hospital with a separate research unit attached, located in a rural area.

Hubick found the hospital of special interest, as she is a health care worker, and noted this hospital had acute care and maternity, and took referrals from all over England. Harper noted the chaplains are funded by the national health service, which recognizes their vital role in health care.

Some of the old cathedrals were also very impressive, with one church in a village, St. Matthew's at Walsall, having stood for 800 years, and another, St. Paul's-at-the-Crossing refurbished to include shops and a coffee shop on the main and second floors, with the worship centre up on the third floor.

Overall, said Harper, "There was a wonderful sense of history and a connection with the past when you go to England. You see old cathedrals, and there are places where generations of the past have worshipped. It was also special seeing people of faith working together and meeting the needs of the community."