Cathedrals expect thousands to mark Jesus' death and resurrection

Cathedrals across England are anticipating a bumper turnout this Easter after new figures from the Church of England out this week showed a sizable increase in the number of worshippers attending cathedral services.

According to the Church of England, the number of people attending a service at a cathedral in England has risen by 24 per cent since 2000.

The figure will be a welcome boost to cathedrals as they make their final preparations before the busy Easter weekend, which is expected to draw almost 50,000 people to cathedral services for the occasion.

The statistics show that 49,600 people attended cathedrals on Easter Eve and Easter Sunday last year, a slight rise from the 2008 count of 49,000 and representing an overall rise of two per cent since 2001.

The expected turnout to Easter cathedral services will add to the 1.4 million people expected to attend an Easter service in their local Church of England church.

The number of people attending Sunday and weekday services in cathedrals has risen by 24 per cent since 2000 to 26,100. The number of baptisms at cathedrals has leapt up in the last year, from 720 in 2008 to 810 in 2009, a rise of 12 per cent.

The Dean of Leicester and Chair of the Association of English Cathedrals, the Very Rev Vivienne Faull, said: “Easter Sunday is the highlight of the Christian year and cathedrals play a special role in hosting memorable services that reflect the joy of the occasion.

“Whether people are visiting a cathedral city for the long weekend, whether they are regular worshippers or whether they are a local who has always wondered what goes on inside that big building, Easter Sunday is an opportunity for cathedrals to offer a warm welcome to all, while showcasing some of the best traditions of Anglican music and liturgy and giving people space to stop and reflect.”

Services will mark Jesus’ Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, traditionally a time when local clergy gather to renew their ordination vows. On Good Friday, services will be held in remembrance of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.

Many cathedrals are also involved in ‘Passion plays’ and ‘Walks of Witness’ to mark the events. In Leicester, around 10,000 people are expected to witness the ‘Christ in the Centre’ drama which is staged across the city centre from 10am, with much of the depiction of Jesus’ final days before his crucifixion taking place close to the cathedral itself.

On Easter Sunday, many Christians will take part in Eucharist services to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and the message of hope it offers. At Salisbury Cathedral, worshippers will gather around the warmth of a giant bonfire before processing into the cathedral at 5am for a Eucharist service led by the Bishop of Salisbury Rt Rev David Stancliffe.

The cathedral’s main Eucharist at 10.30am will be set to Mozart’s Coronation Mass and sung by the cathedral choir. Following the service, the bishop will bless the Easter Garden, traditionally built as a small-scale representation of the garden where some of his followers found Jesus’ empty tomb.

The Rev Lynda Barley, the Church of England’s head of Research and Statistics, said: “The number of people reached by specially arranged services, educational visits and community events hosted by cathedrals is growing by the year and we know that, in many cases, these are attracting people into the regular worshipping community.

She said: “Cathedrals offer those seeking time in a sacred space a taster of high quality music and liturgy, with perhaps less of a sense that they will be committed to attending regularly. But many of these people are drawn to getting more involved, as shown by the encouraging rise in the number of baptisms that cathedrals are celebrating.”