Worcester Precentor dies suddenly
THE Precentor of Worcester Cathedral, Canon John Paul Hoskins, died suddenly at home on Tuesday, it was announced this week. Canon Hoskins, who was 50, was installed as Canon Precentor in January 2022. The Dean of Worcester, the Very Revd Stephen Edwards, said: “JP was a much-loved friend and colleague and might be greatly missed among the many cathedral community. Our prayers and thoughts are together with his family right now.” Watch a video message from the Dean here.
Dr Walker speaks about his cancer diagnosis
THE Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, reflected on his recent cancer diagnosis on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day on Monday. He said: “It began with an abnormal result, present in a routine blood test. An MR scan followed, locating a hotspot, then a biopsy extracted some cancerous cells from my prostate. I’ve not shared this news very widely to this point, but I noticed my response to King Charles having to cancel appointments last week, and his experience resonated.” His prognosis, he said, was “good” and he would undergo radiotherapy. Reflecting on his mortality, he said: “I don’t blame God for my cancer. . . Being confronted by my illness has progressively helped me to feel able to go when my earthly life reaches its natural conclusion, be that through cancer or otherwise. But, until then, I’ll seek to proceed to live in that love of God which inspires and energises me to hunt to be a force for good in a world where the malignant cancers I would like to fight are those of gross inequality, hatred, and injustice.”
Bill to ban ‘intimidatory’ protest near places of worship
NEW protections for places of worship are being introduced in an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government announced this week. The change is to “protect synagogues, mosques, churches, and other religious sites from intimidating levels of disruption attributable to protest activity” by giving officers the ability to impose conditions on the route and timing of a march where the effect is to intimidate people attending religious sites. The government press release refers back to the violent disorder last summer, when “thugs targeted mosques in Southport, Hull, Sunderland and other areas” (News, 9 August 2024). The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy which should be protected, but that doesn’t include the appropriate to intimidate or infringe on the basic freedoms of others.”
Universities targeted for loan fraud
TWO members of the Cathedrals Group, Canterbury Christ Church University and Leeds Trinity University, have been the goal of pretend student applications; these were made to 6 universities in exchange for loans that the applicants had no intention of paying back, The Sunday Times reports. The Student Loans Company (SLC) identified 268 dishonest applications, for the present and other academic years, on the subject of Christ Church University and value £3.8 million in total. Some applicants have reportedly signed up for a level that they don’t plan to review for, and brought out a loan paid on to the applicant: for instance, a maintenance loan. A spokesman for Canterbury Christ Church said that the figures had been passed to it only “very recently”, and that the SLC had “not provided the university with information on either the character or the small print of those individual cases. The university has greater than 30,000 students and the figures ought to be considered on this context.” Since 2022, the SLC has identified 1785 suspicious applications linked to 6 universities, of which £22 million was identified as fraudulent, £14.9 million was recovered, and £7.1 million was paid to students.
Pray for South Sudan, says Bishop North
THE Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Philip North, has urged Christians to hope for South Sudan during a resurgence of political and social unrest within the country. The diocese of Blackburn is linked to the diocese of Liwolo, whose Bishop, the Rt Revd Joseph Aba, visited Lancashire two years ago. In a message to Bishop North on the weekend, Bishop Aba said: “Religious leaders (like myself) will not be going anywhere until peace and stability prevails. If we die, we die as martyrs for Christ and for the associated fee of peace for our nation. By God’s grace if we live, we live for Christ and for the making of a greater nation. We are called into leadership for such a time as this.” In a video posted on diocesan media channels, Bishop North responded: “When Bishop Joseph visited our county in 2023, he inspired us together with his profound sense of the gospel and his passionate desire to rebuild his country spiritually and materially. . . This sudden risk of latest armed conflict is a recent threat to peace. So my appeal is that, in our churches and our schools, please pray for the people of South Sudan.”
AlamyCity figures: The United Guilds service was held in St Paul’s Cathedral last Friday, to mark the work of the livery corporations within the City of London
Boost for Gloucester cloister conservation
THE Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral has been awarded a £40,000 grant by the Headley Trust to conserve its 14th-century fan-vaulted cloister. The conservation project was launched in 2022, after a donation of £550,000 from Julia and Hans Rausing (News, 5 August 2022). The Dean, the Very Revd Andrew Zihni, said that the grant “is not going to only assist in preserving the material of the cathedral but in addition spend money on the abilities and craftsmanship needed to accomplish that”. The cathedral has been used as a movie and TV location. It will be seen within the Harry Potter movies and the BBC’s Wolf Hall.
Birmingham diocese achieves Eco Silver award
THE diocese of Birmingham is the primary diocese awarded the A Rocha Eco Diocese Silver Award in recognition of its commitment to environmental sustainability. Forty per cent of its churches are registered with Eco Church; 30 per cent are achieving bronze awards; and ten per cent have reached silver. The Bishop of Birmingham, Dr Michael Volland, said that the diocese’s award was “a results of an infinite amount of commitment and labor on the a part of many dedicated and faithful people. I hope this award is an inspiration to other dioceses.”
Lord’s Prayer song for youngsters released
NICK and Becky Drake, of Songs for School, who’ve written greater than 80 songs for schoolchildren, have created a song inspired by the Lord’s Prayer. It was released at no cost on all streaming platforms last week, as a part of the Archbishop of York’s Faith within the North initiative (News, 14 March). A press release says that the song “contains a catchy melody and thoughtful lyrics that guide children through the prayer’s core themes of reverence, provision, forgiveness, and protection”. This includes the “uplifting chorus”: “The Lord’s Prayer, still our prayer, Through the years, all over the place! Words to guide, words to guide, Words that light up our lives.”
Correction. In our story last week on the 300km cycle ride from Coventry Cathedral, which is to mirror the route of the Long March, Alan Green and his son Stuart Green got an incorrect surname, for which we apologise.
