In 2025 we celebrate the 950th anniversary of the decision to establish a Cathedral in Chichester, commemorating the relocation of the seat of Diocese. Amidst recent challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and rising operational costs, we aim to be more transparent about the challenges we are facing. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, we invite you to support our Cathedral.
Below Interim Dean of Chichester Canon Simon looks ahead to 2025 and beyond and invites you to support our Cathedral.
In his second letter to the Corinthians, St Paul, you remember, uses the word ‘treasure’ to describe the revelation of God’s glory in the person of Jesus Christ.
Having spoken of the way in which God’s light has shone into our hearts, he goes on to say, ‘But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.’
Here at the Cathedral, we’re familiar with the language of ‘treasure’. We have our own Cathedral Treasury, full of rare and beautiful things. We have a Canon Treasurer to look after it, and to ensure that the fabric of the building is properly maintained.
And it’s fair to say that the Cathedral itself is a treasure: a place of richness and beauty that discloses God’s glory through its architecture, its worship, and its teaching.
But the Cathedral, in all its richness, depends upon us. We are the clay jars in which the treasure is contained. We who are privileged to worship here regularly, are responsible for maintaining this place: not as a museum, but as a place of living faith – the seat of the Bishop - serving both the city and the wider diocese.
Next year we shall be celebrating our 950th anniversary: 950 years since the Bishop’s Cathedra was moved here from Selsey; 950 years since our Diocese was constituted in the form that we now know it.
How remarkable to think of the Cathedral enduring all the changes – social, political, religious - that have taken place since then.
And how wonderful to think of the continuity of faith that it represents. Every day, every week, for the best part of the last millennium, prayer and worship have been offered here, and the Gospel has been proclaimed.
It’s our responsibility to safeguard this inheritance. It’s up to us to support the Cathedral’s ongoing ministry and mission.
In today’s reading from Acts we’re reminded how, in the days after Pentecost, the disciples remained in Jerusalem, devoting themselves to prayer and worship, breaking bread together, and sharing their possessions.
They felt a deep sense of joy. The quality of their life attracted others. ‘Day by day’, we’re told, ‘the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.’ It’s a picture of a community focused on God and animated by the Holy Spirit.
And although its context was very different from our own, we can still learn from its hallmarks of generosity, community, and faith. In every age Christ calls his disciples to create communities of that kind – communities that reflect God’s own generosity. In every age Christ invites his disciples to offer their gifts gladly in his service. In St Paul’s words, God loves a cheerful giver.
During these weeks of Easter we, the Cathedral Chapter, are asking for your help. We’re very aware that we are living in challenging times when many of us feel, more than ever, like clay jars: fragile and vulnerable – both emotionally and financially. We know that some of you live on very limited means.
But we’re also aware that without your help, the Cathedral’s life will be increasingly diminished. It’s true that we’ve spent millions of pounds in recent years providing new toilets, new roofing and new lighting, but these major projects have been largely funded by the Cathedral Friends and the Cathedral Restoration Trust. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
Our concern – Chapter’s concern – is to be able balance the Cathedral’s books without in any way compromising the many aspects of its life that we all recognise to be so important. Our two objectives are simple - to raise our income and to grow our congregation – but they can only be achieved with your support.
We need more money, not because we’re extravagant or careless (our finances, as you would expect, are very carefully managed), but simply because the costs of running the Cathedral – heating it, staffing it, maintaining it, and resourcing it – are considerably higher than most people imagine (and of course we receive no kind of subsidy either from the diocese or from the government).
And we want to increase our congregation for the simple reason that we believe in evangelism and recognise that many of those who pass through our doors are hungry for Christ, perhaps without being aware of it. At a time of falling church attendance and increasing social isolation, cathedrals – and their worship – still have the power to inspire people with the love of God and to draw them into the fellowship of faith.
We are confident that you, too, have this vision for the Cathedral. We know how much you care about this place: not just its architectural heritage, but the many ways in which it fulfils its mission: through lectures and retreats, through exhibitions and events, through rich and imaginative worship, through engagement with families and children and schools, through the great set-piece services to which people from across Sussex come together in praise. It’s a unique and wonderful place, but it’s also, as my colleagues often say, a very hungry beast
So would you please help us? Would you think whether there is anything you can do to help us meet our objectives: to raise our income significantly, and to grow our congregation.
Many of you, I know, do a great deal already. Perhaps you are a Cathedral volunteer. Perhaps you belong to the Planned Giving Scheme. Perhaps you’ve included a legacy to the Cathedral in your will. We already depend on your generosity.
But perhaps some of you can do more to help. Perhaps it’s several years since you revised your level of giving. Perhaps you’re not sure how to donate most effectively. Perhaps you’d like to know more about the work of our volunteers. If so, we’d be only too pleased to speak to you individually without any kind of pressure.
In particular, we are inviting you to use that number 950 to inspire your thinking. Could you perhaps commit to giving £950 a year to the Cathedral? It’s a lot of money. I understand that. But some of you, I know, already give that amount – and more.
Or, if that’s far beyond your means, could you donate £9.50 regularly per week? That’s considerably less than the cost of having a daily newspaper, and just about the price of a bottle of wine.
Whatever amount you can manage will be entirely confidential and it will be very gratefully received. And we would particularly appreciate it if you could use the Planned Giving Scheme as the method of your giving, enabling us to budget more effectively and to claim gift aid, where appropriate. We really do need your help.
Thank you.
The Reverend Canon Simon Holland, Interim Dean of Chichester
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) is a secure and simple way of giving to the Cathedral on a regular monthly basis (or quarterly or annually if you prefer).
It works by making a Direct Debit from your bank account on the first of the month, which is credited to our bank account shortly after. If eligible, you can opt to add Gift Aid and PGS claims this on our behalf, passing it directly back to the Cathedral:
- Visit:www.parishgiving.org.uk
- By phone: 0333 002 1271, Monday to Friday (9.00am - 5.00pm)
- By post: Using the application form available to collect from the Visitor’s Desk or the Verger’s Office.