Bishop of Burnley to host '˜Eucharistic Festival'

The Bishop of Burnley (left) will host the event at Blackburn Cathedral.

Bishop of Burnley and current Acting Dean of Blackburn Cathedral, Rt Rev. Philip North, will host the event, which takes place from 10.30am to 3pm and which will also include lunch as well as a series of events for children, a keynote speaker, and lunch.

Children will be catered for at the Cathedral’s very first ‘Messy Church’ Eucharist, beginning at 11.30am, which will mirror an adult sermon but with a more child-friendly approach.

At the same time, the adults will celebrate the Eucharist with Bishop Philip, followed by an address from keynote speaker Rt Rev. Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester.

Bishop Philip said: “My stint as Acting Dean of Cathedral comes to an end soon and so this has become a bit of a passion project for me. I wanted to create an opportunity for everyone in Lancashire, from the youngest to the oldest and from every tradition, to celebrate the Eucharist together at the County’s Anglican Cathedral.

“The Church of England in Lancashire really welcomes diversity in traditions, encouraging us all to flourish and work together," he added. "In this Diocese we reflect the whole breadth of the Church of England and are showing that we are working together in our ministry here with a common aim. The Eucharistic Festival will embody this diversity and I am looking forward to it immensely.”

Lunch will be served at 12.15pm and a variety of Eucharist-related workshops will be held in the afternoon from 1-2.30pm, led by guest speakers including Rt Rev. Julian Henderson, the Bishop of Blackburn and Rev. Canon David Banbury, Leader of the Diocesan Parish Mission Support Department.

Stephen Whittaker, Director of Education for Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education, said: “As part of the Eucharistic Festival there will be an opportunity to attend a Messy Church programme - an effective way to introduce families to an experience of Christian Community and the good news of Jesus.

For further details about any aspect of the Messy Eucharist event and to book places, which are free, email Jean Duerden at [email protected]