The Archbishop of York begins his tour to teach The Lord’s Prayer across the Northern Province of the Church of England at Evensong in York Minster on 7 March
The Archbishop’s tour of the North of England is the keystone for 2025 of the “Faith in the North” initiative, sharing the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Prayer.
He will speak across the North about the ongoing relevance of the Lord’s Prayer in today’s world, encouraging everyone to live by its powerful, transformative words.
York Minster’s service of Evensong on the 7th March will include the world premiere of a piece of choral music inspired by the Lord’s Prayer and commissioned by Faith in the North from Lucy Walker, a young composer who has previously written music for the Choir of York Minster.
The Lord’s Prayer Tour is part of Faith in the North’s broader movement of prayer, storytelling and church planting inspired by the Northern Saints including Hild, Cuthbert, Bede, and Paulinus to renew faith and mission across the North of England.
Their example inspires and draws us to strengthen the interweaving of our world with the Gospel and the Christian faith, and to renew the Church’s mission to share God’s love with all.
Key dates for the Diocese of York are:
Friday 7th March – Archbishop Stephen will speak at Evensong at York Minster to mark the start of the Lord’s Prayer Tour, with an opportunity to speak with him at a reception afterwards.
Sunday 9th March – Bishop of Whitby Barry Hill and Archdeacon of Cleveland Amanda Bloor will lead a pilgrimage walk on the Saint Aelred's Pilgrim Trail between 10.00am and 4.30pm, with reflections on the themes of the Lord’s Prayer, of up to eight miles (pilgrims are welcome to join or leave at any stage), beginning at Old Byland near Helmsley and ending at Rievaulx Abbey (more details below).
Friday 28th March – Archbishop Stephen will be at Hull Minster for an evening of prayer, reflection, and inspiration; re-connect with the timeless words of the Lord’s Prayer and explore the ways they can change our lives, our communities, and the wider world.
The Lord’s Prayer is central to this vision, guiding us in prayer and in life. Archbishop Stephen’s challenge to those he meets in each diocese is to let this prayer shape their lives, experiencing its power to bring unity, healing, and transformation.
With Spring in sight, I hope that many of you will join us on Sunday 9 March 2025, and take part in Bishop Barry’s and Archdeacon Amanda’s SAPT Gathering Lent Walk. It is part of the Archbishop of York’s Faith in the North Lord’s Prayer Tour. It is our Spring project, and we are looking forward to it being an enjoyable outing amongst friends on a trail named after our local Saint Aelred, who wrote a Treatise on Spiritual Friendship.
Joining Bishop Barry and Archdeacon Amanda on the Lent Walk are Reverend Andy Lindley, the Ryedale Methodist Circuit Superintendent, the Venerable John Day and many friends and supporters. The walk will be led by our pathfinder Joyce Garbutt and our very own Reverend Ian Robinson, who was the first person to complete the 41-mile trail after the two pathfinders Joyce and Mal finished their planning, walking, and mapping.
Do let me know if you are coming (email on poster below), whether it is to join in the Gathering Walk, or simply to join our Service in the Abbey Nave at 4pm and enjoy our refreshments in the Abbey café afterwards. It helps us with regard to catering at Cold Kirby and at Rievaulx Abbey, transport, and parking arrangements.
Parking is available at Old Byland on the wide verges leading into the village from Rievaulx. If parking at Scawton or Cold Kirby, please park carefully in the villages. In Rievaulx Sir Richard Beckett has kindly allowed us to use the overflow field car park near the Abbey. We have arrangements for getting drivers back to their cars from Rievaulx, so please let me know if you will need a lift back, if you haven’t done that already.
Local artists such as Trudy Sanderson with her exciting SAPT textile installations, Daisy Barnes with her remarkable mandalas, Katie Freeman’s beautiful scenic oil paintings, the outstanding watercolour paintings, acrylics, drawings and photographs of Barry and Vivienne Middlemass, and Sue Wressell’s lovely frames of splendid textile artwork are on display at exhibitions and installations in the churches along the route. These presentations and displays showcasing our local artistic talent are well worth visiting in their own right, so don’t miss this opportunity.
This is a Gathering Walk, so it is up to you where you want to join, and how much walking you wish to do.
If you walk from Old Byland it will be 8 miles to Rievaulx, if from Scawton it will be 6, and from Cold Kirby 4.5. As with our Launch Walk last September, a number of people will join us at Rievaulx to participate in the Abbey Service led by Bishop Barry with the magnificent sounds of the Bilsdale Silver Band. Afterwards partake in English Heritage’s hospitality and be treated to hot drinks and refreshments in the Abbey Café where we will enjoy Steven Davies’ delicious sausage rolls and vegetarian and meat pasties.
I look forward to seeing you all and catching up with our many friends of the SAPT.
George, on behalf of the SAPT Planning Group
The arrangements for Sunday 9 March are as follows:
10am: Coffee and cakes in the Church of All Saints, Old Byland where Bishop Barry will lead short prayers. (Toilets available)
10.30am: Commence the Gathering Lent Walk.
11.30am: Prayers in the Church of Saint Mary, Scawton.
11.45am: Leave Scawton.
12.30pm: Arrive for prayers at the closed Church of Saint Michael, Cold Kirby followed by soup and roll and your own packed lunch in Cold Kirby Village Hall opposite the church. (Toilets available)
1.15pm: Leave Cold Kirby.
3.15pm: Arrive Rievaulx Methodist Church for tea and biscuits followed by prayers in the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin.
4pm: Procession commences led with Cross and Banner to Rievaulx Abbey Nave for a short service led by Bishop Barry accompanied by the Bilsdale Silver Band.
4.30pm: Hot drinks, pasties, and sausage/vegetarian rolls in the Abbey Café. (Toilets available)
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