| Coventry Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Cathedral Church of Saint Michael | |
 Old (left) and new (right) cathedral buildings | |
  Coventry Cathedral Shown within West Midlands | |
| 52°24′30″N1°30′25″W / 52.408333°N 1.506944°W /52.408333; -1.506944 | |
| Location | Coventry city centre, West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Michael |
| Consecrated | 25 May 1962 |
| Architecture | |
| Previous cathedrals | 2 |
| Architect | Basil Spence |
| Style | Regional modern |
| Years built | 1956–1962 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Coventry (since 1918) |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop | Sophie Jelley |
| Dean | John Witcombe |
| Canon(s) | Nitano Muller (Worship and Welcome) |
TheCathedral Church of Saint Michael, commonly known asCoventry Cathedral, is the seat of theBishop of Coventry and theDiocese of Coventry within theChurch of England. The cathedral is located inCoventry,West Midlands, England.
The city has had threecathedrals. The first wasSt Mary's, amonastic building, from 1102 to 1539, of which only a fewruins remain. The second was St Michael's, a 14th-centuryGothic church designated as a cathedral in 1918, which remains a ruined shell after itsbombing during theSecond World War, apart from its tower and spire, which rise to 284 feet (87 metres). The third, consecrated in 1962, is the new St Michael's Cathedral, built immediately adjacent to the ruins and tower of the former cathedral – together forming both a symbol of war-time destruction and barbarity, and also of peace and reconciliation.
Coventry had a medieval cathedral that survived until theReformation. This wasSt Mary's Priory and Cathedral, 1095 to 1102, whenRobert de Limesey moved the bishop's see fromLichfield to Coventry,[1] until 1539 when it fell victim toHenry VIII'sdissolution of the monasteries. Prior to 1095, it had been a small Benedictine monastery (endowed byLeofric, Earl of Mercia and his wifeGodiva in 1043).[2] Shortly after 1095 rebuilding began and by the middle of the 13th century it was a cathedral of 142 yards (130 m) in length and included many large outbuildings.[3] Leofric was probably buried within the originalSaxon church in Coventry. However, records suggest that Godiva was buried atEvesham Abbey, alongside her fatherconfessor, Prior Æfic.[4] It was the only medieval cathedral to be demolished at the Reformation.[5]
St Michael's Church was largely constructed between the late 14th century and early 15th century fromred sandstone. It was one of the largest parish churches in England when, in 1918, it was elevated to cathedral status on the creation of theDiocese of Coventry.[6] This St Michael's Cathedral now stands ruined, bombed almost to destruction during theCoventry Blitz of 14 November 1940 by the GermanLuftwaffe. Only the tower, spire, the outer wall and the bronze effigy and tomb of its first bishop,Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs, survived. The ruins of this older cathedral remainhallowed ground and arelisted at Grade I.[7] Following the bombing of the cathedral in 1940, ProvostRichard Howard had the words "Father Forgive" inscribed on the wall behind the altar of the ruined building. Thespire rises to 284 feet (87 metres)[8] to the base of the weathervane, and is the tallest structure in the city. It is also the third tallest cathedral spire in England, with onlySalisbury andNorwich cathedrals rising higher. When the height of the weathervane is included, it is 290 feet (88 metres) high.[8]
The current St Michael's Cathedral, built next to the remains of the old one, was designed byBasil Spence andArup, was built byJohn Laing[9] and is a Grade Ilisted building.[10]
The selection of Spence for the work was a result of a competition held in 1950 to find an architect for the new Coventry Cathedral; his design was chosen from over two hundred submitted.[11] Spence (later knighted for this work) insisted that instead of rebuilding the old cathedral, it should be kept in ruins as a garden of remembrance and that the new cathedral should be built alongside, the two buildings together effectively forming one church.[12] The use ofHollington sandstone for the new Coventry Cathedral provides an element of unity between the buildings.[13]
Thefoundation stone of the new cathedral was laid byQueen Elizabeth II on 23 March 1956.[14] The unconventional[clarification needed]spire orflèche is 80 feet (24 m) tall and was lowered onto the flat roof by a helicopter, flown by Wing CommanderJohn Dowling in April 1962.[15]
The cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962 byCuthbert Bardsley, Bishop of Coventry withBenjamin Britten'sWar Requiem, composed for the occasion, premiered in the new cathedral on 30 May to mark its consecration.[16][17]
To complement itsmodern architecture, Spence's vision for Coventry's new cathedral required that it be filled with the best examples of contemporary art, in his own words,"like a casket of jewels". Many were commissioned by Spence himself early on in his planning of the cathedral, the architect working directly with the artists to ensure that each individual artwork contributed to the integrity of the whole. As a result, the cathedral is famous for its significant collection of mainly British mid-20th century artworks by some of the UK's most noteworthy post-war artists.[18] These include:
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The ministry and mission of the newly consecrated Cathedral has been shaped by the twin priorities of resurrection and reconciliation, established by Provost Howard in the days after the bombing in 1940. The first Provost of the new Cathedral, appointed in 1958 in readiness for the opening in 1962, was HCN (Bill) Williams, who brought the phrase "Christians heal the wounds of history" from his native South Africa. Williams focussed the new Cathedral on witnessing to what God was doing in the world, rather than inside the church, leading a team who were deeply involved in ministry in the city, including the poorer areas, different faith communities, and industry. He also built relationships with Germany and elsewhere in the world through the Community of the Cross of Nailslink. The outward focus of the Cathedral and commitment to reconciliation has remained core to its work, and shapes the work of the whole of the Diocese of Coventry.
Successive deans have brought their own theological and missional emphases. Dean John Petty (Provost 1988–2000, Dean 2000) brought a focus on the healing ministry. Dean John Irvine (2001–2012), one of the co-authors of the Alpha Course had a strong emphasis on bible teaching and evangelism. Dean John Witcombe (from 2013) has renewed the early priorities of reconciliation in the world, especially using the arts as a way of stimulating imagination and establishing the role of Canon for Arts and Reconciliation.
The Cathedral's story, embodied in its art and architecture, make it a popular venue for Christian and other events for organisations that want to draw from its values. Since 1962 the Cathedral, encompassing the ruins and new building, has hosted many innovative events, both religious and secular.
It continues to be host to an international network of partners working for reconciliation, the Community of the Cross of Nails
The cathedral is also known for innovation in its services. As well as the expected traditional services (on Sundays,eucharist at 10:30 am and choralevensong at 4 pm), there is a 6 pm Sunday service with contemporary music, preaching andprayerministry. The Cathedral Youth Work runs Goth church and Urban Church outreach congregations for local groups of young people, an equipping and supporting cell group for youth workers within Coventry churches as well as a number of other regular groups. There continues to be a strong influence of reconciliation within the theology (both vertical: reconciling people to God; and horizontal: reconciling individuals and groups). This is present throughout the ministry of the cathedral but is most clearly seen in theInternational Centre for Reconciliation and the International Network of Communities of the Cross of Nails. The reconciliation work exists locally in reconciling churches and community groups but also internationally (predominantly in the Middle East and central Africa) working with terrorists and dictators as well as local churches, tribes and gangs.
Justin Welby (then a canon of the cathedral) established a special day for bereaved parents in the cathedral after the death of his own daughter. There is now an annual service commemorating the lives of children who have died. A book with the names of dead children is on display in the cathedral and anyone whose child has died under any circumstances can ask for their child's name to be added to the book.[40]
The old cathedral grounds are home to a number of symbols of reconciliation to complement the church's mission. At first, however, the cathedral and its symbols represented the wartime destruction and barbarity.[41][42]
The Charred Cross was created after the cathedral was bombed during theCoventry Blitz of theSecond World War. The cathedral stonemason, Jock Forbes, saw two wooden beams lying in the shape of a cross and tied them together. A replica of the Charred Cross built in 1964 has replaced the original in the ruins of the old cathedral on an altar of rubble. The original is now kept on the stairs linking the cathedral with St Michael's Hall below.
The Cross of Nails, also created after the Blitz, was made of three nails from the roof truss of the old cathedral by Provost Richard Howard of Coventry Cathedral at the suggestion of a young friend, the ReverendArthur Philip Wales. It was later transferred to the new cathedral, where it sits in the centre of the altar cross. It has become a symbol of peace and reconciliation across the world. There are over 260 Cross of Nails Centres all over the world, all of them bearing a cross made of three nails from the ruins, similar to the original one. When there were no more of these nails, a continuing supply has come from a prison in Germany. They are coordinated by theInternational Centre for Reconciliation.
One of the crosses made of nails from the old cathedral was donated to theKaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church inBerlin, which was destroyed byAllied bombing and is also kept as a ruin alongside a newer building. A replica of the cross of nails was also presented to theChapel of Reconciliation (Kapelle der Versöhnung), which forms part of theBerlin Wall Memorial.
A medieval cross of nails has also been carried on board all British warships that have subsequently borne the nameHMS Coventry.[43] The cross of nails was on board theType 42 destroyerCoventry when she was sunk by enemy action in theFalklands War. The cross was salvaged byRoyal Navy divers, and presented to Coventry Cathedral by the ship's Captain and colleagues.[44] The cross was subsequently presented first to the nextCoventry in 1988 until she was decommissioned in 2002, and then toHMS Diamond, which is affiliated to Coventry, during her commissioning ceremony on 6 May 2011 byCaptain David Hart-Dyke, the commanding officer ofCoventry when she was sunk.[45]
A copy of theStalingrad Madonna by Kurt Reuber that was drawn in 1942 inStalingrad (nowVolgograd) is shown in the cathedrals of all three cities (Berlin, Coventry and Volgograd) as a sign of the reconciliation of the three countries that were once enemies.
In 1994 the cathedral received a copy of the statueReconciliation, byJosefina de Vasconcellos. Originally created in 1977 and entitledReunion, it had been presented to theUniversity of Bradford's Peace Studies department. After repairs and renaming, a bronze cast of the statue was presented to the cathedral in 1995, to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Similar copies are held at theHiroshima Peace Park in Japan, at theStormont Estate in Northern Ireland, and at theChapel of Reconciliation in Berlin.
TheBBC broadcast a documentary in 1962 entitledAct of Faith, narrated byLeo Genn, detailing the history of Coventry Cathedral, its destruction and rebuilding.[46]
Theprecentor of the new Coventry Cathedral at the opening service was Joseph Poole.[47] The service was televised and watched by many.
The cathedral has apipe organ byHarrison & Harrison dating from 1962, which is recognised as one of the finest in the UK. A specification of the organ can be found on theNational Pipe Organ Register.
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| c. 1505 | John Gylbard[48] |
| 1733–1749 | Thomas Deane |
| 1750–1790 | Capel Bond |
| 1790–1818 | Mr Woodroffe |
| 1828–1885 | Edward Simms |
| 1886–1892 | Herbert Brewer |
| 1892–1898 | Harry Crane Perrin (afterwards organist ofCanterbury Cathedral) |
| 1898 | Walter Hoyle (first organist of the cathedral) |
| 1928 | Harold Rhodes (formerly organist ofSt John's Church, Torquay) |
| 1933 | Alan Stephenson |
| 1961 | David Foster Lepine |
| 1972 | Robert Weddle |
| 1977 | Ian Little |
| 1984 | Paul Leddington Wright (now assistant director of music) |
| 1995 | David Poulter (subsequently organist ofChester Cathedral and director of music atLiverpool Cathedral) |
| 1997 | Rupert Jeffcoat (subsequently director of music and organist atSt John's Cathedral, Brisbane) |
| 2005 | Alistair Reid(acting) |
| 2006 | Kerry Beaumont |
| 2020 | Rachel Mahon |
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As of June 2024:[49]
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