Mayor welcomes new vicar

NEW MAN in charge:The Rev James Read welcomed the Mayor, Councillor Shoab Akhtar and the Mayoress, Shafeena Kausar at his first official service

THE new Vicar of St Anne’s Church, Royton, was officially welcomed in a special service which was attended by the Mayor and Mayoress.

Mayor Shoab Akhtar and Mayoress Shafeena Kausar watched as the Rev James Read was officially inaugurated as the new vicar at the St Anne’s Avenue Church.

Mr Read said: “It was great to welcome the Mayor and Mayoress to take part in the service. It was lovely to welcome members from another community, whose faith, though different from ours in some respects, is also similar in many ways.

“I really want to highlight the fact that the church is here to serve everyone, from all communities, and the Mayor, as the representative of all the communities in Oldham, was a very welcome guest.”