Coventry Blitz 82nd Anniversary

Monday the 14th November marks the 82nd anniversary of the Coventry Blitz of 1940, a night which turned the Cathedral Church of St. Michael not into a ruined shell of a building, but into a symbol of peace and hope recognised across the globe.

Coventry Cathedral marks the anniversary of the Coventry Blitz with series of services and events

In the aftermath of that terrible night there were two choices – revenge or forgiveness. Provost Howard’s response to the destruction of the Cathedral was one of immediate forgiveness and of rebuilding the Cathedral as a beacon of hope for the future.

This year marks the Diamond Jubilee of the New Cathedral, which was rebuilt and opened in 1962.

Coventry Cathedral will mark this year’s Blitz anniversary with a series of film screenings and services and live concerts:

• Wednesday 9th November, 7pm: Action Rayz: Fires Were Started – The film screening by the legendary director Humphrey Jennings. Set in the heart of the London Blitz the film documents the courage of the men and women fighting fires as bombs dropped around them.
• Saturday 12th November, 7pm: A Concert for Remembrance with Coventry Cathedral Chorus
• Saturday 12th November 11am – 3pm and Sunday 13th November 12pm – 3pm: Blitz Museum special Blitz opening, we will have a special opening in remembrance of the Blitz of the Cathedral which took place on 14th November 1940. There will be activities for children to take part in.
• Saturday 12th November 11am – 3pm and Sunday 13th November 12pm – 3pm: Tower Climb in the Ruins
• Sunday 13th November, 11am: Remembrance Service in the Ruins
• Sunday 13th November, 4pm: Choral Evensong, with “Dona Nobis Pacem” by our acting Director of Music, Luke Fitzgerald.
• Sunday 13th November, 7pm: War Requiem Screening & In Conversation with Don Boyd – One of Derek Jarman’s finest movies interprets Benjamin Britten’s magnificent setting of poems of Wilfred Owen and the Requiem Mass with a sequence of scenes of the First World War depicting life and loss. This screening will be followed by a talk and discussion with the film’s Producer, Don Boyd.

Kathryn Fleming, Canon for Worship and Community said:

“All are welcome to join us in the Ruins on Remembrance Sunday at 11am, as we remember all those who have died in war. To do so in a place that bears such visible scars is a powerful reminder of all the loss that war entails, and an encouragement to commit once again to live as people of peace in our city of reconciliation.

We give thanks as ever to those before us who chose a path of peace and reconciliation, and are proud to stand for these values today.”

Coventry Cathedral is free to the public and open daily from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 12.30pm to 3pm on Sundays.

However, during November and December the Cathedral is extremely busy with events so we recommend visiting their website before visiting to avoid disappointment.