Over 360 Norfolk clergy gather to renew vows 

In place of the annual Chrism Mass usually held in Norwich Cathedral on Maundy Thursday, over 360 clergy and licensed ministers gathered via Zoom to renew their commitment to ministry.

The service began with worship led by Dave and Anna Lloyd of St Thomas, Norwich, before Bishop Graham welcomed everyone from across the Diocese of Norwich.

After prayers and a reading from scripture, Bishop Graham gave a homily based upon John 13.

The Bishop then invited readers, lay ministers, deacons and priests in turn to renew their vows. Following this, a young person addressed the three bishops and invited them to renew their vows. The Very Revd Jane Hedges, Dean of Norwich led the prayers.

The simple service lasted half an hour and was brought to a close by “If ye love me” by Thomas Tallis sung by four of the Cathedral Choral Scholars who share a flat. They performed the song from their rooftop, overlooking the Cathedral.

The Ven Karen Hutchinson, Archdeacon of Norwich tweeted:

I’m so glad we did this! Surprised by how emotional I felt seeing all our colleagues gathering like this to renew vows. Thank you to those who made it happen.

You can watch the service on YouTube below: