Chichester Observer

None other than the house of God

- News Faith Matters

Writing this month, Bishop Martin Warner of Chichester reflects on how buildings like his own Cathedral in Chichester point us beyond ourselves and the material world to the transcende­ntal and a beauty which is lasting and true.

Brighton Pavilion, the Seven Sisters, and Chichester

Dates for your diary

Cathedral Theology Network Online Courses: The Crusades, given by Charlotte Gauthier.

Cathedral are iconic images of Sussex. They are depicted on the trains that shuttle along the south coast. A cathedral in Chichester is part of the identity of Sussex as the Normans designed it in 1075.

The present cathedral is being prepared for 2025, celebratin­g 950 years of Christian service across the whole of Sussex. The present building replaces one that burnt down.

Running at 7pm on Zoom on 14 November, 21 November, 28 November, 5 December, these talks promise to the history,

The destructio­n of an iconic place of worship can be traumatic, even in a pluralist and largely non-christian culture. Think of the impact of watching fire ravage Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris a few years ago. That traumatic event connects with Chichester in one important detail: the roof timbers. 13th century roof timbers were consumed by fire in Paris. In Chichester we still have roof

theology, and social impact of the crusades from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The speaker, Charlotte Gauthier, is a doctoral researcher in History at Royal Holloway, University of London.

For more informatio­n and to register internet, visit www. cathedralt­heology.org/crusades.

Life as a Franciscan Sister

timbers of that same age, and possibly some that are older. But ours were being destroyed by rain getting through the gaudy green copper roofing. That’s been replaced by lead and the timbers are safe.

Does this matter? In the early 1200s, huge Sussex trees were felled in large numbers so that anonymous artisans could collaborat­e in making a building that gave pride and

or Brother… could this be for me..?

Meeting on Zoom between 9.30am and 1pm on Saturday 2 December, this virtual time offers the opportunit­y to explore Franciscan community life within the Church of England.

Please book by 30 November.

To do so, contact Sister Maureen CSF on noviceguar­diancsf@franciscan­s.org.uk. purpose to their lives and the lives of others. These artisans were the computer programmer­s of their day, and just as anonymous.

What message did they hope the cathedral would send to the people who saw it, worked in it, and lived near it? The message was not narrowly defined in Christian terms. It was environmen­tal, claiming that a building dedicated to

Advent Procession, Chichester Cathedral, Sunday 3 December, 4.30pm

As a new church year begins with the season of Advent, join others at the Cathedral for a moving liturgy of music, readings and reflection­s as we reflect on the coming of Christ in his Incarnatio­n and await his return in glory at the end of time. worship should also identify accountabi­lity for the stewardshi­p of creation. It was also about social justice: the friendless refugee and victim of injustice could claim asylum within a church building.

Those anonymous artisans asserted that there is more to life than material things. And the spirituali­ty of beauty, love and joy is the currency in which a cathedral must still trade.

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