Manchester Cathedral Monday 30 December 2024

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We left North Yorkshire in the dark to speed along quiet motorways and through the city centre with minimal cars and buses to arrive at our prebooked car park. We walked the dogs to the cathedral and admired the memorial garden at its front. The circular garden was dedicated to those people killed in the bomb at the O2 Arena in 2017. Each person was named and had a commemorative plaque. The circular garden was a well variegated design with shape and colour even in deep winter. The cathedral is adorned with green space being at the heart of the city medieval quarter. We moved onto a coffee shop for breakfast of almond croissant.

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The cathedral does not allow dogs, so Kit and Scout were returned to the car. The Gothic cathedral  was built between 1421 and 1882 though the site dates back to the seventh century. Patron saints are St.Mary; St. Denys and St. George. We entered the cathedral assailed by light and colour. Windows blown out in WW2 had been replaced by some designed beautifully by Anthony Halloway. The nave is the widest nave of any English cathedral giving the impression of open space and grandeur.

We were greeted warmly by William, Head Verger who told us that we had been looked for the day before by the Bishop and Canon Precentor. It appeared the wrong date had been promulgated by the Dean’s office. We enjoyed services of morning prayer and the eucharist taken by Reverend Sidwell Isaac of Rochdale. The services were sensitively led making reference to our pilgrimage and noting the presence of Hungarian visitors also at the services – they were in the city for a football match. The peace greetings were fully inclusive and generous.

Inspired we then toured the Cathedral. We found toilets and realised there was no shop but a cabinet offering a small selection of gifts. The most prominent were unpasteurised jars of honey provided by the ten bee hives on the roof. We availed ourselves of some jars, so the backup team was not forgotten. The visitor facilities and access are underdeveloped. There is a development project planned to remedy this by 2035 within the existing building footprint. The cathedral does not charge for entry.

The symbol of the bee is also a local one reflecting the worker nature of the population. There is a trail around the cathedral and about the city. The cathedral has the Silver ARocha EcoChurch award. It is also a founder member of the Greater Manchester Green Project which is a major collaboration of local public partners to improve Manchester’s green credentials and reduce carbon emissions. An interesting project to support local people back into employment is featured on website and is known as Volition.

Ecumenical events and activities were noticeable with a visit from Pope Francis  – also Queen Elizabeth 11 in 2021. The Stiller Organ along with pipes, was funded to the tune of £2.6 million by the Friends of Manchester Cathedral. We saw no reference in the building or on the website to a Patron scheme which the majority of cathedrals have.

The wood panelled chapter house, originally built in 1412, was small but imposing. The warmth of the wood and floor made it feel intimate too. The paintings and inlays featured the Transfiguration and Beatitudes. The Lady Chapel, destroyed in 1940 and rebuilt, was available for private prayer. The main side chapel is dedicated to the local Duke of Lancaster regiments and looks well supported .

Poetry was a feature of the displays, and the Cathedral holds a regular poetry competition.

On display too was a striking stone sculpture - a hand outstretched and with a nail by Paul Wharton. It was entitled Forsaken and inspired by Psalm 22. There were two Victorian statues – both Caucasian males. The first was Bishop Fraser, known as the Peoples’ Bishop, as he often arbitrated in trade unions disputes and was a great supporter of the Co-Operative movement. During his period of office over a hundred new churches were founded. The second was of Humphrey Chetham, 1580 – 1653, who established a local Chetham hospital. This building now houses the  Chetham School of Music.

Leaving the building we walked with our canine companions along a green walkway that was by a canal. We were lucky to have a dry day and unremarkable journey home.