Halifax Minster is gearing up for its second annual Festival of Faith, which will run from Ash Wednesday through to Easter Day – Wednesday, March 5 to Sunday, April 20.
The outward-facing Festival was launched last year in a bid to make the traditional festival of Lent as accessible to as many people as possible.
It includes a wide variety of genres including film, live music, concerts and visiting preachers in conversation and poetry as well as the traditional scripture, services and prayers.
The Revd Canon Hilary Barber, Vicar of Halifax Minster, said: “The Festival is outward facing, as we are looking to draw people from outside the Minster, who may not usually think of visiting us to come and experience this common ground yet sacred meeting place with God.
“It will run throughout Lent and the idea is to reinforce the message that the Minster is a place for everyone, not just people of the Christian faith but people of other faiths and people on no faith as well.
“Our doors are open to everyone, and we hope that this Festival will have something for everyone to enjoy.”
Highlights include themed days including ‘Festival of Women’, a day to celebrate women and their lives: celebrating diversity, community, and storytelling.
This inclusive festival with wellbeing at its core celebrates women of all faiths and none, featuring morning workshops.
Another theme will be ‘Sustainability Day’, a day to explore how the Minster might go about reducing its carbon footprint and work towards Net Zero.
During the Festival, the Minster will be a backdrop to ‘Waterfall of Kites’ from Dewsbury-based, artist-led organisation, Manasamitra’s.
This new and exciting project, which began in September last year, culminates in an installation from Thursday, February 20 to Sunday, March 23; the inspiration has come from hundreds of kite festivals that take place across South Asia every spring.
Music will be an integral part of the Festival and includes Halifax Choral Society, together with Ipswich Choral Society and the choristers of Halifax Minster and Bradford Cathedral, for a special performance of J. S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion, on Saturday, April 12, the day before Palm Sunday and as an overture to Holy Week.
Visitors will also be able to join the Yorkshire duo, O’Hooley and Tidow as they revisit their classic album from 2012, ‘The Fragile.’
Visiting pilgrims include the Right Revd Chris Edmondson, Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Leeds and a former vicar of St. George’s, Ovenden.
Bishop Chris is also Chaplain to the Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Last year, a popular feature of the Festival was the series of public conversations around faith.
The series, ‘In Conversation With’ will include Dr Edward Kessler, MBE, Founder President of the Woolf Institute and a leading thinker in interfaith relations at Cambridge University; Adeeba Malik, High Sheriff of West Yorkshire and Deputy Chief Executive of the award-winning, Bradford-based, QED Foundation; Governor of HM Prison Leeds, Rebecca Newby; Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire, Alison Lowe MBE; Spen Valley MP, Kim Leadbeater, sister of Jo Cox, who tragically died as a result of an assault while serving as an MP in the same constituency, and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, British lawyer, politician and member of the House of Lords.
Topics around the criminal justice system, mental health and wellbeing, assisted dying, Islamophobia and the role of women in society will be discussed.
The Festival gets underway on Ash Wednesday, March 5, with a Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes service at 5.30pm when the preacher will be the Very Revd Andrew Nunn, former Dean of Southwark.
Throughout the Festival, the Minster Choir will perform every Sunday morning and afternoon music to accompany the liturgy.
Revd Hilary added: “The Festival draws upon excellence in many fields and genres, from themed days and live music to public theology and visiting preachers, poetry and scripture.
“It ends with the drama of Holy Week, recalling the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as we look beyond the darkness of this present time, placing our hope in God’s Kingdom.”
Halifax Minster is open daily. For the full programme of the Festival of Faith, please click here.