For the second year in succession the Bishop of Knaresborough, Rt Revd James Bell has held open air baptisms in the River Swale near Richmond in North Yorkshire.
On a warm summer day, family and friends lined the banks of the river at Brompton Caravan Park as five candidates were baptised. The River Swale was once known as the Holy River of St. Paulinus and the baptisms took place close to the spot where, according to the Venerable Bede, St. Paulinus carried out mass baptisms in the 7th century.
Local vicars, Yvonne Callaghan and Lindsay Southern donned wetsuits to join Bishop James in the river waters. Revd Yvonne Callaghan is vicar of Easby With Skeeby, Brompton on Swale and Bolton on Swale and the churches joined with St Anne’s Church, Catterick Village where the Vicar is Revd Lindsay Southern, for the river baptisms.
Yvonne, (pictured left) said afterwards, “It was wonderful to be part of baptising Bryan, Josh and Zac Mackinnon along with Reily and Ceira into the Church of God.”
