The Dean's Column

Bee in the City

A colony of giant bee sculptures is winging its way to the streets of Manchester this summer…. Wild in Art and Manchester City Council are bringing all of Manchester’s communities together to create Bee in the City – a stunning public art trail of individually-designed giant bee sculptures. Crafted by regional professional and emerging artists, it will weave its way across the city during the summer of 2018. 

As part of the project, 125 schools, colleges and youth groups have been invited to take part in the Bee in the City Learning Programme. Inclusive and imaginatively linked to the curriculum, it will give children and young people the chance to explore everything Manchester, through creative eyes. 
We are excited to announce that Manchester Cathedral will ‘bee’ getting involved by hosting 20 of the learning bees!

The trail will be live from 23 July until 23 September. The Learning Programme Trail begins earlier and goes live on 4 July. 

Cathedral Community Committee

Probably not many people know that the Cathedral Community Committee is formally part of the constitution of the Cathedral, through which approximately twelve members of the congregation are elected to the committee to act as a ‘bridge ‘ between Congregation and Chapter to facilitate the running of the Cathedral.  There are currently two lay members on Chapter, Nick Rank and the Chair of CCC, Ian Simpson. The Dean sits on the committee with various members of Chapter being invited to attend as and when required. The committee meets each quarter and each member serves for a term of three years. There are no specific numbers limiting membership other that they are willing and able to bring ideas and action to better/improve the life of the Cathedral and its regular fellowship, led by the word of the Lord. 

The Committee organises a number of community events each year.  Please note the following for your diary:

Cathedral Summer Barbeque
Sunday 12 August, 12pm, on the Cathedral lawn.  Suggested donation of £5.00.   

Bring and Share Harvest Lunch
Sunday 30 September, 12pm

Please do join us for our first Bring and Share Harvest lunch!  Let’s celebrate Harvest together, enjoy each other’s company and build up our Cathedral Community.

Poetry Reading in the Cathedral: Two Irish poets

Wednesday, 11 July, 6.00 pm.

Carcanet Press are organising reading of fascinating new poetry by Irish poets James Harpur and John F Deane at Manchester Cathedral.  

Both poets have a remarkable way of exploring the spiritual in our modern world.  James Harpur discovers meaning in ancient artefacts, with their history of damage and brokenness in his new book, The White Silhouette and John Deane continues his long-standing interest in pilgrimage with his latest book, Dear Pilgrims.  Both are masters of the memorable detail and attentive to the world’s strange beauty, writing in vivid, everyday language. 

Manchester cathedral will be the perfect setting for this delightful evening.  Entry is free. 

Saint of the Month

11 July. Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, and Father of Western Monasticism, ca AD 550.

The modern west owes so much to monasticism in all its diversity that it is right that we should honour the man who began it all and in 1964 was made the Patron Protector of Europe by Pope Paul VI.  In 1980, Pope John Paul II declared him co-patron of Europe with Saints Cyril and Methodius.

What little we know about Benedict comes from Gregory the Great.  He was born at Nursia in Umbria, in central Italy, and went to Rome to study, but the profligate life among the students drove him 40 miles east of Rome to Subiaco where he became a hermit.  A community of monks asked him to be their abbot, but found him too strict.  It was said they even tried to poison him.

Benedict returned to Subiaco where he again ordered the monks he found and in about 529 formed them into what became the monastery of Monte Cassino and organised them around his ‘Rule,’ a way of monastic life whose precepts developed the older rules of St John Cassian and St Basil.

Benedict’s rule was for beginners in the Lord's service.  It was practical, but took into account differences in personality and character, yet based on a discipline observed by all.  As a rule that worked, producing a monastic life that was based on balance, reasonableness and moderation expressed through liturgy and prayer, reading devotional texts and manual work.  In monasteries following this rule, the abbot is was expected to be wise, learned, flexible and a father to his monks, like Benedict himself!

Flexibility and humanity were what allowed it to spread, as rulers, keen to develop their territories, encouraged the foundation of ever more Benedictine monasteries.

When he died, Benedict was buried with his sister, St Scholastica, his twin, according to Bede.  His emblems in Christian art are a broken cup, symbolising the one that contained poison and shattered when Benedict blessed it, the raven, which is said to have removed some of the poisoned bread, and a rod, representing discipline.

Vacancy: Worship and Music Administrator

The Dean and Chapter seek to appoint a Worship & Music Administrator from August 2018. This full time, permanent position presents an exciting opportunity for an experienced administrator to join this busy, urban cathedral to help ensure its liturgical and musical offerings are professionally and sensitively presented to the congregation and visitors. The closing date for applications is 6 July 2018 and interviews are scheduled for 20 July 2018. Informal queries are welcomed by the Canon Precentor, which may be made by contacting Canon Marcia Wall on 0161 833 2220 (ext. 245). This role involves regulated activity and so will require an enhanced criminal record check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

What's On

There are always lots of exciting events taking place at Manchester Cathedral. From our regular daily services sung by the Cathedral Choirs to Vintage Fairs, there is something for everyone.

Visit our ‘What's On’ page.

Contact Us

The Cathedral clergy and staff can be contacted via the Cathedral Office on 0161 833 2220 or via the Who's Who page on our website.