St Mary’s, Lowe House in St Helens celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany in style this year with an international shared table meal following the 11am Mass. Parishioners braved snowy weather to attend the event, which brought the whole community together in a joyful display of faith and friendship.

Inspired by global Epiphany traditions, parish priest Fr Michael Harwood explained, “In other countries, Epiphany celebrations take many different forms, and we wanted to reflect that. So, we decided to have an ‘international’ shared table meal.”

The table was filled with an impressive variety of dishes, including traditional food from Poland, Brazil, Puerto Rico, several parts of India, Africa, Italy, and Vietnam. Local favourites such as St Helens hot pot, Lancashire parkin, and Eccles cakes added a distinctly regional touch. The children’s liturgy group contributed to the celebration by bringing items representing the Gospel story of the three kings.

“There was a great atmosphere,” Fr Michael added, “with all our different nationalities sharing food, united by faith. It was a wonderful way to start the new year, and all agreed we will do it again next year!”

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