Year of Cathedrals – End of Month Report
30th January 2020
Well, what a first month it’s been for Year of Cathedrals, Year of Pilgrimage.
Our new website went live allowing us to better tell our stories and show our pictures, we teamed up with the British Pilgrimage Trust to make sure however you arrive at one of our cathedrals, you can come on foot with the launch of one-day pilgrimage routes.
Stunning sound and light shows are transforming our buildings, giving our visitors a new way to experience these wonderful sacred spaces, and everyone, it seems, but everyone, is going on a pilgrimage.
Yes. English Cathedrals marked the start of the new decade with the launch of a special project: Year of Cathedrals, Year of Pilgrimage
This year sees a remarkable number of individual English cathedral anniversaries and initiatives that help tell Britain’s story – past and present – and offer a creative and positive way to look to the future.
Many of our cathedrals are already planning major celebrations – from Canterbury with its Becket anniversary to Coventry with the anniversary of the bombing of its old cathedral.
This month saw Birmingham Cathedral announce it had been awarded development funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to breathe new life into its world-famous collection of stained glass by Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne Jones in an ambitious new project for 2020, called Divine Beauty.
Others will open new visitor centres, start redevelopment projects and there are special art and light shows planned throughout the year that will transform our cathedrals, and, thanks to an initiative between the Association of English Cathedrals and the British Pilgrimage Trust, we have launched one-day pilgrimage routes to every Church of England cathedral highlighting the importance of spiritual, mental and physical well-being.
This month saw the Church in Wales join us – with St Davids leading the way and launching new pilgrimage routes and Winchester went one step further by creating a labyrinth from coffee grounds in a unique community arts project.
Oh, and every cathedral has its own unique prayer card with a prayer specially written for 2020 for you to pick up and keep.
That’s why 2020 is Year of Cathedrals, Year of Pilgrimage.
Watch this space. We’re going to be busy! So don’t miss a thing. Signup to our Newsletter below.