The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, visited Sheffield Cathedral on Wednesday, 25th June, to lead events to explore the Lord’s Prayer and how it can offer a way to live as well as a way to pray.
The journey to the Diocese of Sheffield offered an opportunity for churches, schools and individuals to reinvigorate their understanding of the Lord’s Prayer and to explore new ways of knowing and following Jesus.
The ecumenical event began at Sheffield Cathedral, where Archbishop Stephen presided at a midday Eucharist. Pupils from four primary schools from across the Diocese of Sheffield joined the service with amazing voices and are part of the Schools Singing Programme.
At the evening event, the Lord’s Prayer ‘then as now’ film was played. Canon Missioner Justin Dodd gave a welcome and opening prayer. Bishop Pete gave a testimony on the one line from the Lord’s Prayer which means the most to him – “thy kingdom come, thy will be done” – before videos from across the Diocese showcased a range of reflections from the following individuals:
- Revd Chrissy Moorey, Lights for Christ Enabler
- Mussarat Iqbal, member of the Doncaster Urdu congregation
- Charlene Satumba, member of The Rivers Team congregation
- Revd Dr Bill Goodman, Director of Ongoing Ministerial Development
- Revd Justine Smith, Associate Vicar at Rotherham Minster
- Laura Passo, Centenary Project Worker at Heeley Parish Church
A choral piece, composed by Lucy Walker, provided a musical setting for the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a time of discussion among members of the congregation. Archbishop Stephen gave his keynote address, “Praying by Heart, The Lord’s Prayer”, before there was an opportunity for a Q&A.
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York said, “I am so thankful for the warm welcome at Sheffield Cathedral. It has been deeply encouraging to witness so many open hearts in the Diocese of Sheffield reflecting on the power of the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that continues to shape us as followers of Jesus Christ.”
The event was organised as part of Faith in the North, a new movement across the North of England that aims to encourage prayer, storytelling, and church planting inspired by the Northern Saints.
Theo Sheridan-Watts, Faith in the North Programme Manager, said: “The focus of Faith in the North for 2025 is The Lord’s Prayer. Our hope is to encourage churches, schools and individuals to explore and respond in a fresh way to the prayer that Jesus taught us. We have lots of resources available on our website to help you do exactly that, from newly commissioned songs for children and choirs, collective worship resources for schools and small group resources for churches.”
There are several Lord’s Prayer events taking place across the North of England in the coming months. More information about them can be found here.
To find out more and access the free resources, visit faithinthenorth.org.
What does the Lord’s Prayer mean to you?
As part of the Lord’s Prayer Tour across the Northern Province, we asked people in the Diocese of Sheffield what the Lord’s Prayer means to them.
