News

How to Join us for Worship in the Cathedral

8 July 2020

Worship Q & A

When can I attend a service of worship?

From Sunday 12th July 2020, the following services will be available:

Weekdays

• 08.00 Morning Prayer and Eucharist (Lady Chapel)
• 14.30 Prayers (Lady Chapel)

Sundays

• 08.00: Book of Common Prayer Eucharist (Nave)
• 09.15: Common Worship Eucharist (Nave)

Wakefield Cathedral to welcome worshippers for the first time since lockdown this Sunday!

7 July 2020

Wakefield Cathedral will welcome worshippers in person for the first time this Sunday (12 July) after more than three months in lockdown.

The Dean of Wakefield, the Very Revd Simon Cowling, said he was excited to announce there will be two services of Holy Communion this Sunday morning in line with the latest Government and Public health guidelines on safety but stressed that digital worship will still be available for those unable to come to the cathedral.

Wakefield Cathedral Emerges from Lockdown

29 June 2020

We warmly welcome the government’s recent announcements about the re-opening of places of worship. We have planned our approach carefully, and with the safety and well-being of our worshippers, visitors, staff and volunteers always at the forefront of our thinking. We will be adopting a phased approach. Phase 1 begins this coming Wednesday 01 July, when the cathedral will be open for individual prayer from 10.00 -15.00.

Wakefield Cathedral Evensong Project : Sing in a Virtual Congregation!

28 June 2020

On Sunday 12 July we will broadcast a full Choral Evensong, recorded by the choir during Lockdown. This will be the last new Cathedral Choir recordings and activity before their summer break. They have been working hard, in rather unusual circumstances to provide us with fresh resources for our weekly worship. We would have normally ended the term with a large celebration, social and the reading out of choristers who would be moving on from their time in the Cathedral Choir. Whilst some of these activities will need to happen later we are extremely pleased to be able to prepare a special Evensong service and hope that you will want to join in with us.

Wakefield Cathedral SCIE Audit Report

17 June 2020

In line with the Church of England’s commitment to ensuring the highest standards in its safeguarding procedures, the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is currently undertaking a safeguarding audit of every Church of England cathedral. Wakefield Cathedral’s audit was undertaken over three days at the end of January 2020. You can read the final report here.

Wakefield Cathedral to re-open its doors for private prayer on Wednesday 01 July

14 June 2020

Following recent government announcements, I am delighted to announce that preparations are now well underway for us to open our doors at Wakefield Cathedral so that we are able to welcome people back into the building safely for private prayer and reflection from Wednesday 01 July.

Covid-19 - The gift of Acceptance

18 April 2020

Just over fifty years ago the Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced a new way of understanding grieving. According to Kübler-Ross, although almost all of us who are grieving begin by denying the reality of our situation, we end up accepting our loss after having gone through intermediate stages that include anger and depression.

Truth be told - a reflection on the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union by Dean Simon

31 January 2020

Truth be told

At 23.00 this evening the United Kingdom will cease formally to be a member state of the European Union. For some this will be a time to mourn; for others it will be a time to dance; for all of us it ought to be a time to reflect on what has been and on what might be to come.

Canon Theologian announced

27 November 2019

The Revd Canon Mark Oakley has accepted an invitation from the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, to become Canon Theologian at Wakefield Cathedral. In this honorary role, which he will hold alongside his role as Dean of St John’s College Cambridge, Canon Oakley will support the Bishop and the Cathedral Chapter in their theological reflections and encourage integrity in their discernment and decision-making. Canon Oakley will also be invited to preach in the cathedral from time to time. Commenting on the appointment, the Bishop of Leeds said ’I am delighted that Mark has accepted this significant role in the life of the cathedral’; and the Very Revd Simon Cowling, Dean of Wakefield, added, ‘we look forward to welcoming Mark as our Canon Theologian and to exploring with him the ways in which we can make theology both exciting and relevant for the communities we serve’. Mark will be installed at a special service of Evensong in Wakefield Cathedral on 15 March 2020.

Wakefield Cathedral- on foot!

15 November 2019

Wakefield Cathedral is joining other English cathedrals in a national initiative during 2020, which has been designated ‘The Year of Cathedrals’. The initiative will include a celebration of pilgrimage. A route will be published for every cathedral which aims to provide a new way of travelling and arriving, with the emphasis on journeying either by foot or by public transport.

Details of the Wakefield route can be found on the British Pilgrimage Trust website at https://britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/wakefield-cathedral-pilgrimage-in-a-day/ . Groups of pilgrims are encouraged to let us know in advance at Wakefield Cathedral about their plans.