Procession from the Cathedral to Abbey Gardens to have echoes of the medieval
A grand procession from St Edmundsbury Cathedral into the Abbey Gardens will have echoes of medieval processions into the Abbey of St Edmund.
Members of the public can come along and join bishops, civic representatives, monks and nuns and ecumenical guests walking from the Cathedral across Angel Hill and through the Abbey Gate.
The procession, which takes place on Sunday, May 15, will end at the crypt of the Abbey ruins, beneath where countless pilgrims visited the body of St Edmund in its shrine during the Middle Ages.
The procession will be part of the church service vespers which will begin in the Cathedral and conclude in the crypt with seating for around 200 and a homily by a Benedictine Abbot, Geoffrey Scott the Abbot of Douai Abbey, Berkshire.
Monks and nuns from Benedictine communities around Britain and other countries are coming to Bury St Edmunds for the first time in 500 years since the dissolution of the monasteries as part of the town’s Abbey 1000 celebrations.
They will be joined at this gathering, “Abiding Wisdom”, on May 14 and 15, by lay Benedictines and others to explore the wisdom of Benedict for 21st century living.
Speakers will include the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who will join by Zoom from his home in Wales on the evening of Saturday, May 14.
The day will include workshops on applying Benedictine principles in modern life, as well as worship and fellowship. The gathering will include alumni of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Community of St Anselm, as well as members of the Lay Community of St Benedict.
Services in the Cathedral on the morning of Sunday, May 15, will be led by the Roman Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes, and the Rt Rev Martin Seeley, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
“Abiding Wisdom” is part of the Abbey 1000 series of events to mark the millennium of the founding of the Abbey of St Edmund.
This event has been made possible by a Heritage Grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Abbey 1000 celebrations are being co-ordinated by the Abbey 1000 C.I.C. (which includes St Edmundsbury Cathedral), alongside the Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership.
Rev Canon Matthew Vernon of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, who is part of the Abbey 1000 C.I.C., said: “We envisage a large, fun, all-inclusive procession of people from across our community and faith traditions highlighting together the wonderful heritage of the town. We hope many people will join us and the visiting Benedictine monks and nuns for this historic occasion. All people are welcome to attend ‘Abiding Wisdom’ too when we will learn from the ancient wisdom of St Benedict about how to live well. After centuries of practice, monks and nuns can teach us about compassion, listening to each other, and being present.”
The services on Sunday, May 15, including the procession, are free to join. Tickets for “Abiding Wisdom” on Saturday, May 14, are £10 and available now via stedscathedral.org/abbey-1000-events