Each year St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds, invites representatives from across the community to participate by reading at the traditional service of Lessons and Carols just before Christmas, as a way of recognising their contribution to community life in the county.
With the pandemic making this an extraordinarily painful year for so many people, the decision was made to recognise those who have 'just carried on' with their job despite COVID-19, particularly those who have quietly continued working in public spaces, potentially risking being infected themselves because their job involves interacting with so much of the public at random.
So, at the services of Lessons and Carols on 22 December and 23 December, both starting at 7.00 pm, there will be readers representing those front line workers - from shops, schools, travel, police, council services, foodbanks and health care.
“As we come with thanksgiving to hear Christmas story and to listen to beautiful voices of the choir singing those well-known carols, we come full of gratitude for those who have kept us and our communities going this year,” comments the Reverend Canon Philip Banks, who is responsible for worship and organising the carol services at the Cathedral.
The traditional Christmas services at St Edmundsbury Cathedral will be a little different this year, with only limited numbers of people able to attend, who have pre-booked a ticket. All tickets have now been allocated for the Christmas services but many more are expected to join online as all services will be livestreamed on the Cathedral’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/stedscathedral.
Full details of the Cathedral’s Christmas Services are available on the website https://stedscathedral.org