The bishops of the Diocese of Leeds are sending our Sikh friends best wishes for the upcoming festival of Vaisakhi, which takes places on Monday April 13.
The full message can be read below.
To Sikh friends, colleagues and communities on the occasion of Vaisakhi 2020
We send warm greetings and best wishes for the festival of Vaisakhi.
We know that the practice of Vaisakhi is going to be extremely difficult this year, and we hope that your faith brings you strength and comfort during this time.
We greatly appreciate the good relations between the Sikh communities of West Yorkshire and the Anglican Diocese of Leeds.
In the past year we have been particularly glad to host a Celebration of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devi Ji in Bradford Cathedral, with guest speaker Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon.
We were also pleased to hear of the inauguration of the historic Kartapur corridor ahead of the Anniversary, enabling pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.
We continue to give thanks for the invaluable contributions of the Sikh community to our national life, and recognise that it has been at the forefront of philanthropic work, including during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Looking to the year ahead, may we assure you of our prayers of peace and blessing for you all, and may we wish everyone celebrating a happy Vaisakhi,
Bishop Nick Baines
Bishop Jonathan Gibbs
Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley
Bishop Toby Howarth
Bishop Tony Robinson
Bishop Paul Slater