Thousands of
Norfolk Christians will get their first chance to meet the
Archbishop of Canterbury when he makes a three-day visit to the county this weekend.
The
Most Rev Dr Rowan Williams will catch up with the Norfolk branch of his worldwide flock during a stay from Friday to Sunday that will take in a mixture of seven public and private events.
It will be the first visit to Norfolk by the head of the Church of England since
Dr George Carey spent three days in the county 11 years ago.
The
Rev Jan McFarlane, communications officer for the diocese of Norwich, said: "We are hoping it will be a time of refreshment for him while he is here, and that we will gain from him while he gets an idea of what's going on in Norfolk."
The visit begins in
Attleborough, where Dr Williams will meet the
Rev Lorna Allies, the diocesan rural advisor, and some of her colleagues to discuss rural issues. He will then head to the
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where he will visit some of the wards, meet the chaplaincy team and drop in on the special care baby unit.
That evening, Dr Williams will be among guests at a private reception at
Bishops' House in Norwich.
On Saturday, the archbishop will speak at an event at
Norwich Cathedral, where clergy and key lay leaders will hear him address the issue of how to be an effective Christian in the 21st century.
The next stop will be the diocese's youth and children's centre at
Horstead, before the day ends with a trip to
South Walsham, where a host of church members will meet him to talk about "fresh expressions of church" - including modern and radical ideas for services and outreach.
The trip will end on Sunday when the archbishop joins in a service at
Wymondham Abbey to celebrate its 900th anniversary.
