The Archbishop of York, The Most Revd. Stephen Cottrell, spoke of his ‘great love and devotion to St Wilfrid’ in a sermon to a packed congregation at Ripon Cathedral yesterday.

The Patronal Eucharist service marked the climax of six months of celebrations, which focused on the life and work of the city’s patron saint.

It brought leading clergy and civic dignitaries from across the region to the church founded in 672 AD.

The congregation at yesterday’s service.

At the conclusion of the service, the archbishop, attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Jo Ropner, the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Revd Nick Baines and the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson, dedicated a newly-created ledger stone to the visionary Benadictine monk.

The ledger stone at Ripon Cathedral.

He said:

“Gracious God, as we celebrate the 1,350th anniversary of Ripon’s Anglo-Saxon crypt, we give thanks for its ancient stones which bear witness to your faithfulness to us in every generation.

“As Wilfrid, holy and bold, built up your church in his day, so may we now, in and through this cathedral, bear witness to the inclusive good news of your kingdom for this city, diocese and region.”

The archbishop, added:

“May this stone, now incorporated into the fabric of this ancient cathedral as a lasting expression of gratitude for our founding patron, St Wilfrid, prompt us to follow his example of bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to your world.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, gave a reading from the New Testament.

Attendees at the service, led by the Bishop of Leeds, included the Harrogate Borough Mayor, councillor Victoria Oldham and the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon, councillor Sid and Linda Hawke.

In his welcoming address, Dean John Dobson (pictured above) said:

“For six months we have been enjoying a full programme of events which has helped us mark the 1350th anniversary of St Wilfrid dedicating his great basilica here in 672 AD.

“That was a church building which spoke of wider, universal influence and the determination to equip the church for fitting worship and active mission in the world.”

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The Archbishop of York and Bishop of Leeds will be at Ripon Cathedral for a special service tomorrow to mark the culmination of the cathedral’s 1350th anniversary celebrations.

The Most Revd and Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell and Rt Revd Nick Baines, will be at the 10.30am Eucharist Service, which will conclude with the dedication of a ledger stone honouring the cathedral’s founding father St Wilfrid

Throughout this year, the cathedral community has been telling the story of the missionary bishop and patron saint of the city, with art installations, son et lumieres, lectures and worship.

The ledger stone has been laid under the central tower, above the crypt dedicated by St. Wilfrid in 672AD and near to where the saint was buried. The crypt is the oldest built fabric of any English cathedral.

The stone has been created by letter carver Charlotte Howarth from Making Marks in Norfolk, who worked round the clock for four weeks to complete the work on time.

Her previous projects include the carving of the gilt lettering into the oak for the Remember Me memorial portico entrance at St Paul’s Cathedral, dedicated to those who died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carving the ledger stone was highly skilled and physically demanding work, using an extremely hard stone called Stanhoe Framp.

Ms Howarth, said:

“You become emotionally involved with a project when you work on it. I do think it looks fabulous, there is an overwhelming feeling of relief to see it laid in the floor of the cathedral.”