Bristol St John's Volunteer Blog: Shrewsbury and church of St Mary

In this world exist a lot of towns with magnificent relics, but they are not so famous as big cities...
...Well, everybody can brag that saw relics of London, Rome, Paris, Vienna or Berlin. We like to walk beaten tracks and sometimes we lose chance to see something what is amazing/beautiful, etc, etc...However is not so famous to whole world proclaim about it.

For example about Shrewsbury and the church of St Mary. Now - everybody who is out of UK hand up, if heard about Shrewsbury!...I thought so. But, hey, don't get me wrong. The attitude: "Sherwsbury? Nothing seen, nothing heard" is not a deadly sin or crime. In fact...I also heard about Shrewsbury only when I came to UK. Alike I heard about towns like Volterra or San Gimignano when few years ago I came to Tuscany, about Garmisch-Partenkirchen I heard only thank of annual ski jumping competition. But I started to develop the digression, and should write about something other.
So, Shrewsbury - town in north-western England, very close to Welsh border. I was a member of "delegation" from Bristol. We came there at the invitation of our colleagues from the local branch of The Churches Conservation Trust, who look after the church of St Mary
It's unbelievable that in town, which is 8 times smaller than Bristol, can stand a church, wich thank to size, ornamentation and elegance give the impression of being in Rome, Milan or Cologne. Really! You can come in and...inside you feel breathtaking; ornaments, Norman arches, stained glass, organ, altar...really feel this is sacred place.
Therefore it's hard to belive this church is out of pastoral care. Yes, this beautiful temple funded in 10th century by King Edgar and extended by Normans in 1170 year, this beautiful temple, wich survived political turmoil associated with reformation, this beautiful temple, which survived every possible world wars (including this second) - is out of regular service. This church worked under Norman sword, royal hand even German bombs, but was defeated by money (actually - the lack of money). Simply congergation decided the maintenance is too expensive, and since 1997 St Mary is under the care of local branch of CCT and thak to that is the place spiritual noutrishment (But don't worry - there didn't forget about a body. In vestry is located small, but nice café).
So, you ever will (or already here) in UK - somewhere between admiration cathedrals in London, York or Canterbury and castles in Scotland, mention about liitle town of Shrewsbury and it's church. And who will remarkably merit for St Mary, in future can count on burial place on little graveyard surrounding the church, where rest in peace another merit people.