AND IT WAS THRICE BLESSED – schoolchildren from the Archbishop of York’s Junior School joined the Archbishop to bless the Pop Up Cathedral.
The seven Year 6 pupils from the worship group were in for a treat when they were allowed out of school early to help the Archbishop, Dr John Sentamu bless our Pop Up Cathedral when it arrived in York this afternoon.The torrential rain may have put paid to Pop Up Cathedral’s plans to serve in Huddersfield, Bradford and Halifax this week but the rain eased off sufficiently for us to make it over to York for the blessing this afternoon.
The Archbishop blessed the trailer with holy water and told it to go out and get on with it. SEE THE FILM BELOW…..
Pop Up Cathedral is the brainchild of Wakefield Cathedral. A mobile trailer, it was bought with a combination of local grants and supported with further funding from the Archbishop of York's Youth Trust, to provide detached youth and outreach work at the Cathedral and for other churches and church communities across our new diocese.
It is run by Wakefield Cathedral's mission and outreach team of Canon Tony Macpherson, Canon Missioner and Heidi Smith, Community Missioner. They were sent out from Wakefield Cathedral on Sunday morning after the Harvest Service when the congregation took the service outdoors after Communion. The team plan to spent the next two weeks on the road serving some of our towns and cities in our new diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales and stopping off at our offices along the way.
Wakefield Cathedral's Sub Dean, the Revd Canon Michael Rawson blessed the Pop Up, Heidi and Canon Tony and sent them on their way on Sunday .
Canon Tony Macpherson said: “We’re here to help our fellow church communities in this new diocese with their outreach and mission work.
Community Missioner, Heidi Smith has been using the trailer to serve hot chocolate to the young people who use the Cathedral steps in Wakefield as a meeting point over the summer months.
She said: “This is about engaging with the community where they are. Pop Up Cathedral crosses barriers and shows our communities that wherever they are, we are here for them, we are here to serve.”
Pop Up Cathedral will be in Ripon on Sat Oct 11 and Leeds Tuesday Oct 21. New dates will be posted up for Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford and our three offices. Watch this space!
Saturday Oct 11 – Ripon
10-2pm - Holy Trinity Ripon
2.30-4.30pm - Ripon Cathedral
Tuesday 21 Oct - Leeds
9-2pm St Chad’s, Headingley
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
About the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust
To find out more about The Archbishop of York Youth Trusts’ Grant Making programme please visit: http://www.abyyt.com/grants/ or to donate to their work go to: http://www.abyyt.com/donate/
You can also keep up to date with the work of the Youth Trust through Facebook, Twitter (@ABYyouthtrust) and www.abyyt.com. If you would like to receive their quarterly newsletter then please contact ytadmin@archbishopofyork.org.
POP UP CATHEDRAL - Canon Missioner, Tony Macpherson on 07780990354 and Community Missioner, Heidi Smith on 07500978430