THE New Bishop of Durham began a week of prayer yesterday at The Angel of the North.
The public appearance was Bishop Justin Welby’s first in a busy week which will culminate in his enthronement at Durham Cathedral on Saturday.
He said: “The Angel of the North is emblematic of this region. It gives off an air of solidity while at the same time looking as if it may take off at any time, which is how I view this area.
“I think it is absolutely stunning, a worthy symbol of the region.”
The appearance on a mist-shrouded Monday morning was part of Bishop Justin’s Prayer for the People campaign, in which people have been invited to suggest prayers and themes for prayers, including through social media platforms Facebook and Twitter as well as being handed by individual churches and parishioners.
Ahead of Saturday’s installation at Durham Cathedral, the Bishop is holding sessions at five churches.
Before heading to the first church, the week began at the Angel where Bishop Justin held a prayer session with the mayor and chief executive of Gateshead Council, Joe Mitchison and Roger Kelly, and local parishioners.
Prayers were then held at St Ninian’s in nearby Harlow Green, which the Bishop formally opened by saying: “The overriding theme is hope and dreams for the future and for people to spend time with God and allow Him to shape us and for us to say what is on our heart.”
People attending the five prayer sessions will be encouraged to participate in a number of different ways, including writing prayers in a book or drawing them on a board. Today, Bishop Justin will be leading prayers at Sunderland Minster between 10am and 2pm.
Tomorrow, he will be at St Nicholas’ Church, Durham and on Thursday at Escomb Church, Bishop Auckland, both between 10am and 2pm.
On Friday he will take part in the traditional welcoming into his “parish” at Croft, on the River Tees near Darlington.
In local legend this area was once the domain of a notorious creature called the Sockburn Worm, a winged serpent which terrorised the local neighbourhood until it was eventually slain by a certain young man called John Conyers, a member of a wealthy local family.
From that day on each new Prince-Bishop of Durham was presented with the sword that killed the worm upon entering their new Bishopric for the first time at Croft.
The mayor of Darlington will present a falchion sword to Bishop Justin as part of this historic ceremony before he goes on to lead prayers at St Cuthbert’s at Darlington.
