Sheep and human beings are often closely connected in Christianity. Christ is the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd. Priests are often referred to as being in charge of their 'flocks' of parishioners.
For the Rev Celia Carter, vicar of the rural parishes of Avening and Cherington near Stroud in Gloucestershire, the analogy is a daily reality. She has fifteen hundred parishioners and works a 75 acre sheep farm by herself. She's now in the middle of lambing - the busiest time of year for a sheep farmer - and Easter is one of the peak seasons for vicars.
Caroline Swinburne joined her on a trip up the hillside to feed the sheep. |
