Church reopens for private prayer from Wed 24 June
The church will reopen for private prayer only from Wednesday 24 June
I am delighted to say that the church will re-open next Wednesday. As with all churches, working in accordance with government guidelines, we shall be opening for private prayer only. We are opening the Lady Chapel which will be accessed by the priest's door and there will be a marked route to the west end of the church where there will be an opportunity to light candles in remembrance of those who have died and for other prayer intentions. As we are uncertain what impact this will have, and in order to follow necessary hygiene expectations which keep everybody safe, we shall be opening for a few hours (10.00 til 2.00) on four days week (Wed - Sat) to begin with. We can relax this and open for longer and on more days as we get used to how this works.
We felt that the Lady Chapel is the place that most people would wish to have open and we will monitor the numbers coming in and revise our plans if we need to. There will be very clear signage from outside (both north and south sides) to ensure everyone knows how to get in.
This is a wonderful moment in the life of SMR: a real visible sign of the recovery from the turbulent times we have been living through. I am very aware that some people (possibly many people) had hoped we would open earlier, and it's marvellous that everything is on track (despite significant floods in the Undercroft and parish office yesterday) for Wednesday morning.
More blog posts
Preached by the Revd Laura Verrall-Kelly, Associate Vicar
Keeping You Updated During the Interregnum As I prepare to go on maternity leave at the end of August, I want to share some important updates regarding our Sunday Services and communication during the Interregnum period. We’ve taken time to consider what is sustainable and meaningful in this season of transition, and while some of the changes have been difficult, they are intended to ensure we can continue to worship together well. Service Changes 8am BCP Eucharist We’ve made the difficult decision to pause this service during the vacancy, following a PCC vote (with 3 votes against). This is due to the limited availability of clergy to cover two Eucharist services on a Sunday. We’re grateful that this decision has allowed us to secure strong cover for the other services. If you’re looking for an early service, the Cathedral offers Morning Prayer at 7.40am and BCP Eucharist at 8am. This change to the 8am will happen from the beginning of October. Mattins & Evensong These will continue with support from a growing team of Lay Leaders. If you're interested in helping lead, please speak to Simon Goodman. Please note: bespoke online orders of service will no longer be produced weekly. Instead, we will use a standard booklet and hymn book in church. Online viewers will receive a standard order of service plus a document with Bible readings and hymns. 10.30am Sung Eucharist Some small changes are being made to simplify things for visiting clergy: Notices will be read by a Church Warden, Duty Warden or Church Representative Communion distribution will return to queue formation A Gradual Hymn will replace the Responsorial Psalm - there is simply not the resource to produce a weekly or termly Psalm hand out in church. We’ll use a standard “Eucharist during the Vacancy” order of service (in booklet form), with hymn books provided in church. As with other services, online resources will mirror this setup. These changes to the 10.30am will happen from the 17th August. Christingle Service Due to the scale of this service and the planning it requires, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause it this year. Without full-time clergy to oversee preparations and lead the service, we don’t believe we can deliver it safely or well. We know this will be disappointing, but this service will be back. Ongoing Communication Thanks to Chris Duncan and Sam Love, we will continue to send out a weekly email during the Interregnum. I’m very grateful to both of them for stepping up to support in this way. We know some of these decisions may not affect everyone, while others may feel them more deeply. We don’t expect universal agreement, and that’s okay — your questions and thoughts are welcome and valued. All we ask is that feedback is offered with kindness and respect for those who have worked hard to make these plans in a short space of time. Thank you for being part of this community and for your ongoing support as we navigate this together.
Preached by the Canon Dr Stephen Spencer, Assistant Priest
Preached by the Revd Laura Verrall-Kelly, Associate Vicar
Preached by the Revd Simon Goodman, Curate
Preached by the Revd Canon Dan Tyndall, Vicar
