Rededication of stone carving
AN ANCIENT stone carving believed by some historians to be the earliest-known sculpture of St Thomas Becket has been restored to the chancel of St Lawrence’s, Godmersham, in Kent — a church on the traditional pilgrim route between Winchester and Canterbury — and rededicated (News, 31 May). The service last weekend was attended by each Anglican and Roman Catholic representatives. The stone carving had been worn and fragile, “and we had been told that it couldn’t join an exhibition on the British Museum some years ago, since it was too delicate to maneuver, and that we’d must get it restored and repaired,” James Russell, a former churchwarden, said. Conservation grants from Church Care, the Pilgrim Trust, and the Radcliffe Trust had made a “huge difference” within the work to repair the carving.
Date set for Ripon Cathedral annexe hearing
PLANS to construct an £8-million annexe at Ripon Cathedral will go before North Yorkshire Council’s planning committee for scrutiny and judgment on 3 December, almost two years after the appliance was first submitted (News, 9 August), Yorkshire Bylines reports. More than 2700 people have formally and publicly objected to the plans, and organisations including the Woodland Trust, Ripon City Council, and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have raised concerns. Yorkshire Byline has sought clarification as to how calculations by the Cathedral Support Group that the annexe would bring a £3-million regional profit were made.
Irish teacher risks return to prison
A TEACHER, Enoch Burke, who was jailed for contempt of court after defying a court order to keep away from Wilson’s Hospital School, a personal boarding school in Northern Ireland, has risked going back to prison by returning to the college last week, the Irish Times reported last Friday. Mr Burke, an Evangelical Christian, was suspended after which sacked in January of last 12 months, after he refused to handle a student by a distinct name and use “they/them” pronouns (News, 14 April 2023) . He then began showing up on the gates of the college in protest, prompting the college to use for an injunction compelling him to keep away from the property (News, 26 May 2023). His failure to comply resulted in his being jailed between September last 12 months and June. Last month, the High Court rejected his application for a everlasting injunction to forestall his exclusion from the college.
Vandals by accident live-stream their offences
VANDALS who “set fire to palm crosses” and “defaced orders of service” by accident live-streamed their offences at Holy Trinity, Longlevens, in Gloucester diocese, its Priest-in-Charge, the Revd Rachel Forrest, told BBC News last week. On 15 and 17 August, three children were “messing about — but messing about like that may be really dangerous”, she said. “It’s the entire attitude of disrespect, not caring, and considering it’s quite fun.” They had by accident switched the church live-stream on. Gloucestershire Police has urged anyone with information in regards to the incident to contact officers.
