As England enters its second national lockdown from Thursday 5 November, Lincoln Cathedral will once again be open for individual private prayer only.
As part of the new government measures which have been introduced, public services are temporarily suspended, events are cancelled and tourist visits can no longer take place, however, live services from the Cathedral will be shared online to allow worship to continue.
The Very Revd Christine Wilson, Dean of Lincoln said that the Cathedral would continue to be a beacon of faith, hope and prayer within the city and the county.
“Once again we find ourselves unable to join with others in many aspects of our daily lives, but that does not mean that we face lockdown alone. A constant throughout this ever-changing and challenging year is the love of God, and we continue to seek new ways demonstrate this love and offer our ministry.
“There has always been a faithful community of prayer at Lincoln Cathedral and despite the tempestuous times we are currently navigating, we have seen this grow and become stronger this year. While we must temporarily stop public acts of worship, we remain committed to praying daily for the city, county and country.”
“I encourage everyone to look for ways to support those around them; in particular, we must remember the vulnerable and the isolated at this time. It is our continued love and support for each other which will help us all to move forward with faith and hope.”
Since the summer, a service of Holy Communion has been streamed live from the Cathedral every Sunday and has proved very popular, building a large audience from around the world. More recently Choral Evensong has been broadcast twice a week. From Thursday 5 November for the duration of the lockdown, Morning Prayer at 8am and Evening Prayer at 5.30pm will also be streamed live from Sunday to Friday.
The Very Revd Christine Wilson added, “Over the last few weeks we have been gradually increasing the number of services taking place in the Cathedral, and it has been heartening to take each step towards a full programme of worship. While there is naturally great sadness that we cannot continue to worship together in person at the moment, our priority remains the health and wellbeing of everyone in the Cathedral community, the City of Lincoln and beyond.
“We are fortunate to be able to stream our services and pleased to be able to keep the doors of the Cathedral open for private prayer.”
The Cathedral will be open between 10am and 3pm Monday to Saturday and 11.30 to 3pm on Sundays, for those wishing to pray, reflect and light candles. The first hour of opening, between 10am and 11am is reserved for anyone who identifies as vulnerable. All visitors are asked to respect this and those who do not fall into a category that is considered vulnerable are requested to visit later in the day.
Duty Chaplains will be available during opening hours to respond to the pastoral needs of anyone visiting, whether they arrive seeking specific counsel or find that their visit prompts unexpected questions and feelings.
Additionally, the Dean’s Green on the northern side of the Cathedral will remain open between 10am and 4pm (11am-4pm on Sundays), offering a quiet, calm and peaceful place for all to enjoy a moment of reflection and calm.
