St Albans Cathedral will be lighting up the West End façade in pink and blue to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss during Baby Loss Awareness Week, 9 to 15 October. The annual awareness week, now in its 17th year, is an opportunity for bereaved parents, families and friends, to commemorate babies’ lives and break the silence around pregnancy and baby loss in the UK. The lighting up of the West End will take place every evening during during Baby Loss Awareness Week. Abi Thompson, Sub Dean of St Albans Cathedral, said: “For the past few years the Cathedral has lit up at night in pink and blue in support of Baby Loss Awareness week. We hope the lights are a reminder to people who have suffered such a terrible loss that there are friends and supporters all around. Prayers will be said at evensong throughout the week, and anybody who would like to come to the Cathedral to light a candle in memory of a lost child is most warmly welcome. You are also welcome to request a meeting with one of our clergy team for prayer and conversation if this would be helpful.” Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands (stillbirth and neonatal death charity), said: “Baby Loss Awareness Week is a unique opportunity for parents to commemorate their babies who died, and I hope St Albans Cathedral will help bereaved families in St Albans feel less isolated and alone in their grief. “Pregnancy loss or the death of a baby is a tragedy that affects thousands of people every year. It is devastating for parents and families and it’s vital they get the bereavement support and care they need, for as long as they need it.”If you are in need of support during Baby Loss Awareness Week, you are welcome to request a meeting with a member of the clergy for personal prayer and conversation. Please contact Sara Harvey to arrange your meeting: subdeanpa@stalbanscathedral.org / 01727890233.All are welcome to light a candle in memory of a lost child, and to attend Evensong where prayers will be said in honour of this cause during Baby Loss Awareness Week.
St Albans Cathedral’s exciting Autumn Adult Learning programme has now begun; inspired by the Cathedral’s rich heritage of learning.We are one of only a few cathedrals in the country which offer a full programme of adult learning events designed to explore faith, history and culture from many angles. Each term we produce a programme packed full of talks, workshops and study days which cover all sorts of topics, such as theology, art, faith, film and politics. God, Science Fiction and a Good Space Opera is just one of the talks scheduled this term, and the Cathedral’s first café event in our new Welcome Centre and Abbots Kitchen café. Visitors will be taken on a journey through popular science fiction, and explore some of your favourite space operas in a new light as we invite a part-time Stormtrooper to explore faith in science fiction. Can androids have souls? If aliens created humanity, could anyone believe in God? Join the Rev’d Cris Rogers as he explores whether there is a place for faith in science fiction, and whether God can be found in this most unlikely of places. In an interactive evening, visitors are invited to enter into the debate and explore the themes of God, creation, faith and death, and how these connect with popular science fiction. This event forms part of St Albans Cathedral’s Space Voyage, a spectacular son-et-lumiere which takes place 28 October to 1 November, and invites visitors to travel out of this world and immerse themselves in a dramatic experience of cosmic light and sound. God, Science Fiction and a Good Space Opera takes place on Thursday 10 October from 7.30pm (bar opens at 7pm). Tickets are £10 and can be purchased at www.stalbanscathedral.org. Visit https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/Pages/Events/Category/talks for the full Autumn Adult Learning Programme.
We're happy to announce that the Welcome Centre is now open and is serving as the new Visitor Entrance to St Albans Cathedral. Visitors can access the Welcome Centre from Sumpter Yard. We are also happy to announce that all the paths around the Cathedral are now open, so visitors can enjoy the Cathedral from all directions, whether it be from Verulamium Park or St Albans City Centre. In addition to the building of the Welcome Centre and refurbishment of the Chapter House, work has been taking place behind the scenes to develop the way the remarkable stories of Alban and the Cathedral are communicated. The result of this is a brand new exhibition area featuring audio visuals allowing visitors to explore the medieval Abbey and its manuscripts and some of the Cathedral’s hidden spaces. The Welcome Centre also features a timeline which places St Albans’ local history in a national and international context.<span style="font-size: 1rem;"></span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Thank you to everyone for their patience while we built our lovely new Welcome Centre. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Do come and visit soon - free entry, free daily tours, a brand new exhibition and ev</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">ents for all ages.</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">For more information, please visit </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/ </span>
