Mice to meet you! New ‘church mouse festival’ launches in St Giles

A new festival celebrating the life of the church mouse has launched this week at St Giles Parish Church in Wrexham.

Following the success of the knitted poppy installation for Armistice centenary last year, volunteers and community groups from the church have created a series of quirky new installations featuring over 400 colourful mice depicting various scenes from life within St Giles.

Following the arrival of the ‘Mouse Bishop’ last Saturday, the festival includes a family fun day on Saturday 17th August from 11.00am – 3.00pm where there will be a range of family activities in the Church grounds and the chance to set the mice free by launching them in rockets on a zip line from the top of the tower.

A ‘pet service’ will then wrap up the festival on Sunday 1st September.

Speaking about the festival, church vicar and This Is Wrexham Tourism Board member Rev Jason Bray, said: “St Giles’ must be one of Wales’s busiest churches: in fact we often say we’re as busy as church mice, so we thought we would create a festival which brings people of all ages together, and celebrates what we do and what we are.

“St Giles’ Mission is to be “a visible and active Christian presence in the heart of Wrexham and the Mouse Festival aims to showcase the different groups and activities in the church from the Babes in the Pew, our parent and toddler group to the Memory Café for people with dementia, from christenings to funerals.

“Each group has been responsible for designing its own display, although we were using energy from the poppies that were created last year.

“Overall, it is designed to be fun for all ages, and is not just for children.”

St Giles Parish Church is the largest medieval parish church in Wales, and also one of the busiest. It is home to a series of interdependent congregations and groups who between them create a vibrant community where all life is celebrated and affirmed.

The installations can be visited daily between 10.00am – 4.00pm (except Sunday’s and during services) until September 1st.