This weekend, we celebrate the installation of the Very Revd Dr Simon Jones as the next Dean of Lincoln. It will be a joy and a delight to welcome Simon and Darren back as a part of the Cathedral community and I know many of us have been looking forward to this weekend for many months. It will be the start of a new chapter in the life of the Cathedral, as Simon brings his many gifts and talents to the challenging role of leading Lincoln Cathedral into the future. Important as a Dean is, however, the flourishing of our Cathedral community is built on many people, each contributing in their ..read more

Students from the University of Lincoln will graduate beneath thousands of paper doves bearing messages of peace, hope and love at Lincoln Cathedral this week. Over the summer around 12,000 people contributed to the artwork by sharing their messages, and now sculptor Peter Walker has brought the birds together into a stunning artwork which soars above the nave of the Cathedral. Peter and his team spent three days sorting the doves and attaching them to thousands of meters of ribbon before suspending them beneath the central tower of the Cathedral where they fly in formation bearing the hope ..read more

Over the past months, I have had the privilege of being part of the sessions folding the peace doves for the installation which will start going up in the Cathedral Crossing this week. They have been times of community and conversation with staff, volunteers, folk from local churches, and visitors to the Cathedral. All of us involved have felt the privilege and awe of holding and folding people’s prayers and hopes for peace; particularly so amidst times of national and global unrest. One person’s prayer may feel small, but as we took piles of prayers and turned them into sacks full of dove ..read more

The summer holidays may be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the family fun is over at Lincoln Cathedral. On Monday 2 September, tickets will go on sale for the ever-popular annual screening of the BAFTA-winning animation ‘The Snowman’.  The much-loved festive classic will be shown on a big screen in the nave, where the heart-warming tale will be brought to life with music from a live orchestra and soloists from the Cathedral Choir. The nave will sparkle with light and colour to create a magical atmosphere and a chorister from Lincoln Cathedral will sing the iconic solo of “walking ..read more

As many of you already know, Tracy Buckby will be leaving her post as COO and Chapter Clerk on 8 September 2024 after 18 months in that role. I am pleased to announce that from 9 September Isabel Merrifield will be covering the role of COO of the cathedral on an interim basis. Isabel is currently the Interim COO of Southwark Cathedral and has previously been Interim COO of Leicester Cathedral. Prior to these interim roles, Isabel was the Chief Operating Officer of Coventry Cathedral, and she now provides consultancy to a range of third-sector organisations. Isabel will be with us for three ..read more

INEQE Safeguarding Group has been commissioned to conduct Independent Safeguarding Audits of the Church of England to make sure dioceses and cathedrals are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected. Lincoln Cathedral and the Diocese of Lincoln are currently taking part in this process. As part of the audit, INEQE wants to engage with those who visit, attend services or worship at the Cathedral through an online survey, and we encourage you to share your views and experiences. The survey is anonymous and confidential, and the results are received ..read more

Each day at Evensong or Evening Prayer we say the words “…and so we pray the prayer laid down by St Hugh for the daily use of the canons of this Cathedral church…”. That phrase is a reminder that Lincoln Cathedral has been a place of daily prayer for around 1000 years and that we have been praying his words for over 800. We join in prayer, here in this building, with Christians from centuries past and, I hope, centuries future, creating a rhythm of prayer through each and every day. There is something quite special in being a part of the community which holds and participates in this praye ..read more

Glimpses of God’s glory Although it is only a week ago that I seemed to be shivering and dodging from place to place to try and avoid the rain, as I write this, the sun is shining brightly. With the shining sun, the people wandering around the cathedral precincts and leisurely looking at the beauty of the building, families relaxing in the long grasses and wildflowers, there is a sense in which creation shines that little bit more brightly. It is at times like this that, given a moment to look around, we can most obviously see something of God’s glory in the creation that surrounds us. Whil ..read more

Lincoln Cathedral is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a grant of £20,000 by the Cathedral Music Trust. This valuable funding will be used to support a new a new outreach role in the Cathedral’s music department. The Singing Partnership Lead will work with children in schools across the city to help them learn new musical skills and develop a joy of singing and cathedral music which will last a lifetime. The funding is one of 28 grants totalling half a million pounds, made to cathedrals and churches across the UK this year by the Cathedral Music Trust. The Trust’s support has a ..read more

Dear Friends, On Monday evening the Cathedral hosted hustings for the Lincoln constituency. As I write this, the results of the General Election are coming in and by the time you read this, we will know who has been chosen to represent us in Parliament and who will form our next government. Canon Brown knows that I write a weekly reflection on readings for the coming Sunday, so when he asked me after Evensong on Election Day if I could take over writing this issue of the Chapter Letter, I agreed readily. I know, as do many of you, how many responsibilities he carries as our Interim Dean. At ..read more