Liverpool: service for victims of modern slavery

As the year of remembrance marking the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade draws to a close, Churches Together in the Merseyside Region (CTMR) are marking the year of remembrance and repentance with 'A service of reflection and prayer for those enslaved today.' 200 years since the Act of Parliament was passed to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire there is still a web of exploitation and abuse. The Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Reverend Patrick Kelly will preside at the service which is to take place in Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King at 3pm this Sunday, 21 October. Among those taking part in the service will be representatives from Asylum Link Merseyside, Christian Aid, the Mersey Mission to Seafarers and Apostleship of the Sea. Pupils from Notre Dame College, Everton Valley will perform a dance and drama. The service is split into four parts: 'Covenant'; 'Redemption from Slavery'; 'New and Everlasting Covenant'; 'Commissioned by Christ', and a main theme is that Christian people are committed to the journey towards liberation. Speakers will consider the plight of some of those who currently suffer massive injustice: women and children who are trafficked for sex, exploited seafarers, asylum seekers and the politically oppressed. Despite the sombre subject, this will be a joyful celebration that seeks to empower with the sense that faith gives reason for hope and the courage for action. All are welcome to attend as a vibrant mix of scripture, art, music, dance, testimony and silence will consider the needs of enslaved people today. 'A service of reflection and prayer for those enslaved today' takes place at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool on Sunday 21 October at 3pm.