THE diocese of Worcester has had a partnership with Magdeburg, in eastern Germany, for almost 22 years. Many parishes in the two dioceses share individual friendships. Late last month, Bishop Ilse Junkerman, the Bishop of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany, of which the area of Stendal-Magdeburg is a part, came to Worcester so that she and the Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, could recommit themselves to the partnership.

The agreement is that the two dioceses will continue to share worship and services, and conferences and meetings, as well as develop new areas of co-operation. They hope to do more to involve schools and colleges, and remember together events of common European history, including the commemoration of the start of the First World War this year.

Dr Inge said that it had been "very affecting to discuss with our German friends how best to commemorate the First World War, and to do so on the day after the anniversary of the almost complete obliteration of Magdeburg by Allied bombers in January 1945".