Special Services at three of London’s major churches during The Olympic Games.
Join us at Westminster Abbey, Southwark Cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Our three churches are delighted to be able to give you the opportunity to step away from the fast pace of the Olympics and join us in a ‘Trinity of reflection’.
Westminster Abbey in its daily worship will celebrate the passion and purpose of the Olympic spirit. Southwark Cathedral will be open to all as it welcomes the world to explore and embrace the diversity of nations. St Paul’s Cathedral will centre activities on the fortitude of Paralympic athletes.
You can find out more about our specific programmes of events by visiting each church’s website. We do hope you can join us.
Olympic Games: 27th July – 12th Aug 2012
Paralympic Games: 29th Aug – 9th Sept 2012
Follow the pilgrims walk...
Westminster Abbey
Discovering the Olympic Spirit
15th July 2012 | 6.30pm
We look forward to welcoming you to Westminster Abbey for a Service of Celebration at which we will give thanks for those who have organised the Olympic Games and those who will compete. The service is on Sunday 15th July at 6.30pm; admission is by ticket only (free) so please apply early to avoid disappointment. Information is on our website.
We hope that you will also come to tour the Abbey during The Games – travelling back through a thousand years of history in the footsteps of the many kings and queens, politicians, famous musicians, scientists, poets and military leaders who are buried or memorialised here. On your tour you will stand in the place where every coronation has taken place since 1066 and where royal weddings and funerals have been conducted, and you will see the world famous Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
Visit the Abbey website for details of worship and visiting times. You will also find details of organ recitals, band concerts and guided pilgrim walks between the Abbey, Southwark Cathedral and St Paul’s. In addition to our usual opening, from Wednesday 1st August until Thursday 6th September we shall open for ‘Summer Nights at Westminster Abbey’ on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6.30pm – 8.30pm with Compline at 9pm.
Southwark Cathedral
Celebrating Diversity
5th August 2012 | 3pm
Come and celebrate with us at Southwark Cathedral as we hold a special service to rejoice in and honour who we are, taking this Olympic Games’ focus on diversity and inclusion as our theme. All are welcome to this colourful festival occasion, with choirs and dancers from a variety of traditions, flag parade and carnival procession.
Southwark Cathedral sits at the heart of Bankside and is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark which encompasses South London and East Surrey. This is a church which has borne continual witness to our faith in Jesus Christ for the last 1400 years. In that time, Southwark has become a place of welcome and entertainment; a bustling, diverse community of pilgrims and players, of publicans and prelates. Its ancient character remains to this day. Southwark Cathedral will remain open until 9pm throughout the Olympic period, ending with the ancient service of Compline at 8.30pm each day. In addition to the above, please note the following special events and services:
20th July – 12th August: The House of Switzerland, the traditional official Swiss hospitality centre at the Olympic Games.
29th July, 3pm: Choral Evensong for the Nordic communities in London.
4th August, 11am: 250th Anniversary Service of The Swiss Church in London.
23th August – 26th August: The Leprosy Mission Festival of Flowers, concluding with 26th August, 6.30pm Festival of Praise.
St Paul's Cathedral
Courage and Christianity
26th August 2012 | 6pm
We issue a special welcome to all Paralympians and their supporters coming to the Paralympic Games from across the world with a special service, Courage and Christianity, on Sunday 26th August at 6pm. This service will be open to all.
St Paul’s is the cathedral church of the Diocese of London. It is situated in the heart of the City of London, close to the River Thames and on the direct rail route to and from the main Olympic site. St Paul’s, famous as a historic landmark around the world, is primarily a worshipping Christian cathedral open for religious services every day. It also welcomes visitors from Monday to Saturday each week, who can experience Wren’s fine architecture, visit the world-famous Whispering Gallery and witness the finest views of London from the very top of the Dome.
St Paul’s is also offering quiet evenings of reflection, from 6 – 9pm, during both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Our late opening dates are: Monday 30th July, Friday 3rd August, Monday 6th August, Friday 10th August, Friday 31th August, Monday 3rd September and Friday 7th September.
The Cathedral café and shop will also be open until 10pm on these days. Please visit our website for full details.
During the 2012 Olympics thousands of people will travel to the UK to be part of this major world event. In the meantime other men, women and children are being tricked or forced into coming to the country to end up in domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, forced labour or forced street crime and begging. It is our responsibility to take the opportunity that the Olympics and Paralympics offer us to alert the world to the reality of this tragic crime and to inspire visitors gathered in this country for the Games to take action to stop this crime.
The GIFT box will introduce people to the concept of how you can be deceived; sometimes things are not what they seem. A series of boxes in the shape of a giant present will be placed in strategic locations across London and other Olympic venues in areas with a large footfall, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Southwark Cathedral. Promises of exciting opportunities entice people to the box, however once inside it's a different story. The stark reality of human trafficking is revealed.
There are four different types of box, each with their own theme, dealing with the forms prevalent on the streets of London: domestic servitude; forced street crime, sexual exploitation, and forced labour.
Whilst the GIFT box will be evocative, it will also be family friendly, and will empower people to be advocates for change to end trafficking in their own local communities.
After the Olympics the GIFT box will be made available for communities all around the UK. Churches, community centres, schools, and businesses will be able to apply for a box for a chosen period of time to create their own project around the GIFT box.
Find out more about the project and how to become involved at www.ungiftbox.org or contact Jantine.Werdmuller@stopthetraffik.org / 02079214258
Westminster Abbey
The Chapter Office
20 Dean's Yard
Westminster Abbey
London
SW1P 3PA
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7222 5152
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7233 2072
info@westminster-abbey.org
Southwark Cathedral
London Bridge
London
SE1 9DA
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7367 6700
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7367 6725
cathedral@southwark.anglican.org
St Paul's Cathedral
General Enquiries
The Chapter House
St Paul's Churchyard
London
EC4M 8AD
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7246 8348
(Recorded information line)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7246 8350
(Reception: Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm)
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7248 3104
reception@stpaulscathedral.org.uk