For details of events and services in the cathedral during Lent click here.

The Church of All Saints serves a Diocese of a million people in West and South Yorkshire. Daily worship, many special services, and a notable tradition of liturgy and music characterize the life of this quiet oasis in the midst of a bustling city centre. The present building dates from the 14th century, and boasts a magnificent collection of stained glass by C. E. Kempe, much fine wood carving, and the tallest spire in Yorkshire.

A message from the The Dean of Wakefield, the Very Revd. George Nairn-Briggs:

2005 has been a year of enormous changes here at Wakefield Cathedral.

The Spring saw Canon Richard Capper go off to Norwich. June brought us Canon Peter Vannozzi as Canon Pastor and Vice-Dean. On 11th September we said goodbye to Canon Ian Gaskell. Heading up training for the diocese Canon John Lawson was installed as a new residentiary canon on 18th September. Canon Robert Gage left us on 9th October to go to Newcastle. His successor is to be Revd. John Lees who will bring both parochial and cathedral experience to his new post, and will move to Wakefield with his wife Jane Keeton in the new year. Canon John Holmes tells me that he has no intention of leaving and I have no plans to do so either.

I know that you will all welcome our new members of staff as well as continue to pray for those who have moved onto 'pastures new'.

Discovery is a Sound Walk offering all who experience it a spiritual journey through the Cathedral. Using the whole building Discovery invites visitors to use places and artefacts in it to reflect on their unique, personal spiritual journey. Lasting just under forty minutes it is aimed at adults and older teenagers (Keystage 3 and above). This project we believe is the first of its kind for an English Cathedral and has already attracted widespread interest. The image on the right is NOT a mobile phone but the Discovery Project's special handset used to play and control the audio material of the Discovery Soundwalk.

To read more about the Discovery project click the image on the left . . .

The Cathedral community has held two meetings with its architect to discuss how the Cathedral might be developed to improve its ministry with the city. Churchwarden Steve Simpson writes about the early stages of making significant changes to the interior of Wakefield Cathedral and presents two visualizations of what the Cathedral might look like in the future. You can also read Dean George's statement made earlier this year on the progress of the Development . . . and his words of thanks to those who contributed the £25,000 needed to take the process to the next stage. Click the title to read Steve's introduction, view his visualizations and read the Dean's statement.

Click here to go to the on-line edition of the Directory - a printed copy is currently being prepared by Josie Fox and will be available soon.