A GRIEVING congregation remembered their murdered vicar, the Rev Christopher Gray, yesterday at the Sunday morning service he should have conducted.
Some churchgoers were in tears as they heard the 32-year-old priest described as a "brilliant young man" who had sacrificed his life for his calling.
The vicar, known to his parishioners as Father Chris, was stabbed to death in the grounds of St Margaret's Church in Anfield, Liverpool, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Mr Terence Peter Storey (31), of no fixed address, has been charged with his murder and is due to make a second appearance before Liverpool magistrates tomorrow morning.
The Archdeacon of Liverpool, the Ven Bob Metcalf, who conducted yesterday's service at St Margaret's, told the congregation of about 150 that he had first met Mr Gray when he had applied to become a curate in the city.
"First on paper, and then in person, I recognised a brilliant young man who had so much to offer. He said he wanted to serve as a priest in urban Liverpool."
"When I pressed him, he was clearly saying that he believed God had called him to be a priest and that he was responding to that call a sacrifice of other possible careers and, ultimately, a sacrifice of his life while fulfilling that calling."
Dozens of messages of support and sympathy from other churches and people around the country were displayed on tables at the rear of the modern church.
The archdeacon said afterwards that the congregation and everyone in the diocese was still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.
"This is a bereaved congregation," he said. "Everyone is still stunned by what has happened and very saddened about it."
"He was such an outstandingly gifted priest, gifted in so many ways."
Among the congregation was the city's Lord Mayor Frank Doran. He said: "I came to pay my respects."
"I had been to the church on a number of occasions. Father Christopher was a very, very hard-working member of this community and this community meant everything to him."
During the hour-long service a special candle was lit to mark the support of other churches since the vicar's murder.