A Chester city centre church is holding a service at the weekend to honour the dead and pray for the living following the horrific events in Manchester on Monday night.

St John the Baptist Church, by Grosvenor Park, is hosting a Mass for the Holy Spirit on Saturday (May 27) at 10am but following the attack on the arena, part of that service will be a Requiem for those murdered by terrorists.

Rector of Chester Rev David Chesters OBE said: “Our Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit for the Archbishops’ Initiative ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, will now contain a substantial Requiem portion to honour the dead in Manchester and pray for the living. During the Mass we will light candles for the dead.

St John's Church in Chester
St John's Church in Chester

“I know that students from both Chester University and The Queen’s School were present at the Ariana Grande Concert in Manchester as were I suspect, many other students from Chester Schools. And I know personally that those who were there, have come home in a state of shock.

“Whilst The Mass is a Christian Service at St John’s, it is open to those of other faiths and none, to show solidarity with those who are suffering. I hope Christians, Muslims, Jews and other people of goodwill will join us in the church of St John the Baptist Chester; and might I suggest that major churches throughout the land follow our lead as we move towards the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative. The people of evil will not win.”

Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement, which invites Christians around the world to pray between Ascension and Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus Christ. What started out as an invitation from the Archbishops’ of Canterbury and York in 2016 to the Church of England has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.