Greetings, and welcome to this spring edition of Alban News, as the days lengthen and the earth joyfully emerges from winter hibernation. As we go to print, the Lenten journey is underway, and the weeks ahead invite us once again, with intention, to turn our lives towards Christ and walk with him on the way to the cross. This Lent, our Cathedral homegroups are engaged in studies on the cross through the lens of the Gospel writers and St Paul. This journey to the cross also leads us beyond, to the hope and life of the empty tomb. We are delighted that Bishop Rob Wickham, Group Chief Executive of the Church Urban Fund and Assistant Bishop in our Diocese, will be our Holy Week preacher. You can read more about what Bishop Rob has planned for us during Holy Week in the pages ahead - to which all are welcome.
As we celebrate the success of our Rose Window coming third in the Association of English Cathedrals’ competition for the nation’s favourite stained-glass window, we also look forward in this edition to 2027, which marks the 150th Anniversary of St Albans Diocese, and therefore of this Abbey Church becoming a Cathedral. Together with the 11th Bishop of St Albans, we will celebrate this important milestone in the life of our Diocese. Do mark your diary with some of the notable dates which will be out soon.
As we follow Christ in Alban’s footsteps, witness, courage, and justice are among our key priorities, and our commitment to sustainability, in every sense, is expressed through each of these. Ministry with and for children and young people, our financial sustainability, and the decisions we make which determine our footprint on this planet are all part of our outworking of these priorities. You can read about these areas of our life in this Alban News.
May you know the blessings of this holy season and, in all the busyness of life, take time to dwell on the truth that is at the heart of our faith: Christ crucified and risen.
Jo Kelly-Moore | The Dean
Welcome, Stranger
For the past four years, the Cathedral has welcomed and supported more than a hundred asylum seekers and refugees from around the world. Many have needed help with learning English, navigating complex government procedures, understanding life in a new society, or simply making local connections. Thanks to the generosity of many, they have received both kindness and practical support.
This work has led to a strong network of partners - faith communities, charities, and local and national agencies - all committed to finding the best ways to support people seeking asylum and those granted leave to remain. As these groups have worked together, their shared experience has strengthened the wider community too.
Amid constant negative coverage in parts of the media and from some politicians, it is important to highlight the many people who have built new, successful lives here despite significant challenges. Many arrive with strong skills and education and, with support, make valuable contributions to society. Some wait years for permission to stay and are highly motivated to rebuild their futures.
A, from China, is a talented graphic designer, currently volunteering while seeking permanent work. F studied hard at Oaklands College, gained the required qualifications, and is now at university. G, from Central America, lives independently and works full-time in St Albans. I, a Kurdish family from Turkey, are awaiting permission to stay and volunteer in St Albans and Hatfield. J, from Iran, now lives in North London and runs his own building business.
These are but a few examples of the the driven, talented people enabled by a stranger’s welcome.
Not every story is simple or successful, but many truly are.
Helen Bishop I Asylum Support Group
Our Holy Week Preacher
We began the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday as we received the sign of the cross in ash reminding us that we are dust and to dust we shall return. We spend this holy season drawing closer to God and paying more attention to our spiritual life through study, prayer and acts of service. The Lenten journey moves us towards Passiontide and Holy Week and this year we are delighted to welcome the Rt Revd Rob Wickham as our Holy Week Preacher. Throughout the week he will guide us in exploring a compelling theme:
Bishop Rob invites us to consider Holy Week as “God’s wild imagination revealed. We are all participants. So, in the light of these great events, just who do you think you are? Where do you see yourself? How do you know? In what ways might you respond? This Holy Week, we come face to face with betrayal, loyalty, shock, fear and hope, and our response may be beginning to know ourselves just that little bit better, shaped by love.”
Bishop Rob will preach his first address on Palm Sunday, 29 March, at 4pm Evensong. He will then give three compline addresses at 8pm Monday - Wednesday of Holy Week, preach at the Maundy Thursday Eucharist during which the celebrant will wash feet recalling the events and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, this will be followed by the Vigil at the altar of repose where we remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and watch and wait with him. As our journey continues, Bishop Rob will lead us through the Three Hours Devotion on Good Friday as he concludes his reflections.
All are warmly welcome to join us for this powerful exploration of the passion narrative. For more details, see our Easter Brochure online or in-person.
Rev’d Vanessa Jefferson I Precentor
Rosy Recognition
Last month our magnificent Rose Window was crowned third place in the search for the nation’s favourite stained-glass window. For many encountering it for the first time, this ranking is no surprise - few artworks manage to stop visitors in their tracks quite like this kaleidoscopic creation suspended high in the North Transept.
Completed in 1989 by artist Alan Younger (1933–2004), the window transformed what had once been Lord Grimthorpe’s heavy, clear-glazed design into a breathtaking explosion of colour and light. With sixty -four openings and an astonishing 18,000 pieces of hand-blown glass, the Rose Window is both a technical marvel and a poetic meditation on creation.
Younger was immediately inspired by the sheer weight of Grimthorpe’s surrounding masonry. Such mass, he felt, demanded a vibrant counterpoint - a window ablaze with colour, built from tiny, jewel-like fragments of glass. Younger grounded his design in a medieval idea that Rose windows mirror both creation and the created universe. He explored this through deceptively simple geometry - squares, circles and trianglesmelded with a mystical mathematical insight from the Middle Ages: to multiply three by four is to infuse matter with spirit.
In Younger’s window, the four major circles hint at the classical elements, the building blocks of the material world. The large central triangle evokes the Trinity, the divine presence. Their union creates twelvea number long associated with cosmic order and the universal Church.
The result is a window that doesn’t just decorate the space; it transforms it. Younger intended it to “make an immediate impact”, yet it also rewards lingering, almost contemplative observation. Its colours shift with every passing cloud, every seasonal turn, every hour of daylight - a living artwork in constant motion. From outside, its dark protective glazing makes it nearly invisible, earning it the affectionate local nickname “the Magic Window”. Only when you step inside does the quiet stone erupt into a blown-glass blaze of colour.
Dedicated by Diana, Princess of Wales, the Rose Window continues to enchant visitors, from lifelong locals to tourists discovering its radiance for the first time. With its new national recognition, this modern masterpiece is shining brighter than ever.
Luke Hoskisson| Marketing Executive
Financial Progress
I would like to share an update on Cathedral finances with you. This takes the classic form of good news and bad news.
As you may remember the Cathedral operating budget in 2024 reported a record deficit which had to be addressed in 2025 with a programme of greatly increased income generation combined with the imposition of strict cost controls. The good news is that in 2025 we will be able to report that the Cathedral is much closer to balancing the books so that costs are more in line with income - I look forward to sharing more details with you after the Cathedral accounts have been independently audited and published later in the year.
That means that the costs of keeping the Cathedral open for worship will in future largely be supported by our income generating activities such as the events we run, the Abbots’ Kitchen, the Cathedral Shop and income from investments.
All that is good news and it represents a massive effort from all the staff, volunteers and members of the congregation who have contributed to putting the Cathedral onto a positive financial path.
However, remaining open for worship is only one of our two charitable objectives, the other is acting as the conservator of our beautiful
Grade 1 listed building sitting in our magnificent scheduled national monument site.
This is where the bad news comes in. While we can generate enough income and restrict costs enough to plan to balance the books to keep the doors open, there is no money left over to do anything other than emergency maintenance on the fabric of the building. There is a growing backlog of conservation issues to be addressed, for example you may have seen the increasing frequency of roof leaks and problems with the stonework.
To pay for this backlog of building conservation priorities, the Cathedral needs a sustainable revenue stream of donations, legacies, endowments etc.
To address this need we will be launching a new campaign titled Alban150, to coincide with our sesquicentennial anniversary of becoming a Cathedral and consequently a city. This campaign will be designed to raise sustainable funding to pay for our obligations in conserving the building for future generations along with some other priorities.
So, as well as the good news on our operational budget, I look forward to revealing more of the Alban150 funding plan as this year unfolds.
Alan Hartwell | COO
Alban OneFifty
2027 is going to be a very special year for us as a Cathedral community. Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Diocese of St Albans, and therefore of us becoming a Cathedral and the town becoming a city.
There is so much to give thanks for in that period as we have served the counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, their churches and communities, in worship, leadership, welcome and service. We are planning an exciting programme of events to mark this major anniversary which will include a major Diocesan service of celebration, a major focus on Alban150 in an enhanced Alban Pilgrimage with our new Bishop, an elegant celebration dinner in the nave, a major flower festival and many other exciting events and activities.
As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of becoming a cathedral and city, we also want to take this opportunity to look to the future, by ensuring that our buildings and precinct can continue welcoming
hundreds of thousands of worshippers, pilgrims and visitors each year. We want to conserve our unique heritage, care for the world and connect with our communities.
We aim to achieve this by raising significant funds that will enable us to make essential repairs and conservation to our Cathedral, put in place the necessary technology, culture and practices that build environmental sustainability, and help us to ensure our building and the work we do is inclusive to those not just in our city, but across our diocese and far beyond.
As well as celebrating the past and giving thanks for the present, Alban150 is also about the future. In many ways, it is as much about the next 150 years, where we will look to harness the incredible enthusiasm, generosity and community attitude that has enabled our Cathedral to flourish and grow.
More details will follow soon as we look forward to our exciting celebrations as a catalyst to secure the legacy of Britain’s first saint and the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in the UK and sharing it with others.
Charlie Miles | Head of Development & Fundraising
‘Ello, ‘Ello, Ellie!
Meet Ellie Lewis, our new Office Assistant!
Originally from St Albans, Ellie has a strong background in English literature. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Exeter before going on to study for a Master’s at King’s College London, where she specialised in Early Modern literature.
Ellie modestly says she “mucked around” a bit after university - but in reality, she founded Cowslip Press, a beautifully curated online magazine dedicated to writing about women, nature, the body, and sense of place. Not bad for “mucking around”!
Settling in
Ellie has so far described her onboarding as a really positive experience. She’s found it thorough and supportive, and credits Lizzie, our Office
Manager, with making her feel especially welcome and well prepared. Compared to previous roles, she says it’s been a great introduction - we’ll leave it at that!
What’s surprised her?
Ellie has been struck by the warmth and scale of the Cathedral community - particularly the number of volunteers and the genuine care people show. She’s found everyone incredibly welcoming and generous with their time.
She’s also loving the historic surroundings and the Cathedral grounds. With the orchard and spring flowers starting to bloom, it’s an inspiring setting, especially for someone who enjoys nature writing and the arts.
Any challenges?
Like many of us, Ellie admits that getting to grips with church terminology has been a bit of a learning curvethere are only so many times one can knock on Rev’d Vanessa’s door!
If you spot Ellie at reception, do say hello. Better yet, ask her about what she’s reading - currently it’s Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin.
Welcome, Ellie!
Luke Hoskisson| Marketing Executive
Sir Francis Bacon: 400
2026 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Sir Francis Bacon, one of the most famous inhabitants of St Albans. A lawyer, philosopher and scientist, he became 1st Viscount St Alban (1561-1626). From groundbreaking contributions to the scientific method to his influence on modern thought, this anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on Bacon’s impact and explore his lasting significance in today’s world. The Cathedral is joining with other local venues and partners, as well as Gray’s Inn in London and Trinity College, Cambridge, to mark his enduring legacy.
Exhibition: A Man For All Time?
Explore the Essays of Sir Francis Bacon, each of which reflects on profound topics such as truth, death and love, alongside broader social issues. Come and discover some of his ideas ranging from love and wisdom to fortune and the spiritual refreshment of gardens. This exhibition also features items from the collection of the Francis Bacon Society showcased in our display area.
No charge, but donations are welcome. Available to visit in the North Transept during opening hours from 13 April to 7 May.
The exhibition has been jointly curated by St Albans & Hertfordshire
Architectural and Archaeological Society (SAHAAS) and St Albans Cathedral, and funded generously by SAHAAS and the Friends of St Albans Cathedral.
Talk: The Bacons and Religious Change in Tudor England
Deborah Spring explores how the Bacon family negotiated and survived the roller coaster of religious upheavals across the reigns of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, and into the reign of James I. Join this anniversary talk, hosted by Adult Learning and the Friends of St Albans Cathedral, to discover the extraordinary story of how this leading local family successfully navigated a dangerous era of tumultuous political and religious change.
Saturday 25 April, 2pm – 3.30pm in the Alban Room. Tickets (£6-£12) available from the Cathedral Box Office online or in-person.
Ahead, Naturally
St Albans Cathedral is pioneering a sustainable future by integrating its Carbon Net Zero by 2030 goal with the Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition Scheme) framework. As far as we know, we are the only Cathedral with an accredited travel plan, and we will be applying for the second level of accreditation by this summer.
This strategic travel plan aims to help transform how the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors reach this special and holy place as well as encouraging our valued staff, volunteers and congregation to play their part.
By adopting the Modeshift STARS Leisure guidance, the Eco Team is developing a structured action plan to reduce single-occupancy car journeys and explore more sustainable alternatives where possible.
Key initiatives include:
Active Travel Promotion: Encouraging the use of the Alban Way and other footpaths and cycle routes
Public Transport Advocacy: A survey taken by the Eco Team in Autumn 2022 highlighted that 40% of car-using visitors would switch to more reliable public transport if available. It prompts us to seek closer collaboration with the local authority, with transport providers and ensuring that good up to date travel information is available on the Cathedral website.
Sustainable Travel: Our Sustainability Projects Officer is currently exploring opportunities to introduce electric vehicle charging points and increase the capacity and visibility of our bike racks.
Staff Engagement: We will be holding a ‘walk to work’ initiative for staff who live close by and we hope this will encourage a shift in habits on a more regular basis.
This next level of our travel plan is not just about logistics; it is an expression of our Cathedral’s commitment to “God’s creation” and ensuring that as many journeys as possible are sustainable and playing their part in our environmental commitments.
If you would like to explore specific cycling routes to and from the Cathedral, including those to St Albans City station, or to find details about the bus services that serve the Cathedral then more details can be found on our website. Help us by playing your part.
Fr Will Gibbs | Cathedral Eco Team
Am I a Green Christian?
In 2024 we offered an environmental lifestyle survey to all of our congregation (and anyone else who reads Alban News, of course!). This was part of our efforts to become more environmentally friendly across the Cathedral activities, and also to achieve the Gold Eco Church Award - which we are very close to. We think it is now time to do this again, and so we ask you to go to [https:// www.surveyhero.com/c/gtfaadyw] and answer the questions. It is anonymous, and designed to help us all think about whether we live our lives in the most environmentally-friendly fashion.
One of the questions is about use of cars. Generally people report trying to reduce car use, either walking or taking a bus (noting the free bus pass for those of us who can get it). One person last time was very clear about using the train instead of flying. People were also really enthusiastic about their gardens, cutting pesticides, selecting plants that are good for pollinators, and doing the RSPB Bird Count and Great British Butterfly Count. One caring gardener carries her snails some distance away and releases them near a car park – although if you like this idea be aware that snails have a homing instinct and you need to move them at least 20m away!
Last time we did not get many responses, but those who did were really positive and showed a great sense of stewardship. We suggested also last time that we all took a ‘carbon footprint’ (see [https://climatestewards.org/ carbon-calculators/]). Some people were uncertain why they should do this. Basically, the cause of climate change is our production of carbon-based ‘greenhouse gasses’ which rise in the atmosphere and insulate the planet. All of us produce such gasses in our daily lives – driving, cooking, use of electrical powered equipment, flying – and many other activities. If we know what we are doing and what the impact is, we can cut down. The carbon footprint calculator can help us do this.
There is a lot of information out there to become a green Christian – including the Green Christian site [https:// greenchristian.org.uk/] and Ruth Valero’s site [https://ruthvalerio.net/]
Do try the lifestyle survey, and think
Fra Angelico. The Annunciation. c. 1440 – 1445. Fresco. Convent of San Marco, Florence. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
The Annunciation
“Hail, Mary, full of grace,” said the angel Gabriel - or did he?
The angel Gabriel’s greeting has echoed through centuries of Christian prayer, music, and art. But what exactly did he say - and what does it truly mean?
At Easter, we celebrate the triumph of grace: life conquering death, hope overcoming despair. Yet the Annunciation is where that story quietly begins. Long before the empty tomb, before Bethlehem, before Calvary, there was a young woman in Nazareth who said yes.
The Feast of the Annunciation invites us back to that hidden moment - to the encounter between heaven and earth that forever changed the world. But was Gabriel offering Mary a simple greeting, or proclaiming something far more astonishing? What does it mean to call Mary “full of grace”? How was she prepared by God to become the one through whom the Incarnation would come - and when did that preparation begin?
Reflection on Mary’s grace has even been described as “perhaps the most prolonged and passionate debate in Christian theology,” eventually leading to the
declaration of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 - a teaching that remains one of the defining differences between Roman Catholicism and the Reformation traditions.
Join us for an evening of thoughtful exploration as we reflect on what makes Mary so remarkable - and why her story continues to matter for us today. Together, we will consider how grace prepares, transforms, and invites us into God’s redemptive work.
We warmly invite you to begin the evening at 7pm with a quiet and intimate Eucharist service in the Lady Chapel, presided over by The Revd Peter Waddell. The talk, The Annunciation, will follow at 7.30pm in the Alban Room.
Whether you come for the service, the talk, or both, we would be delighted to welcome you as we continue to reflect on the joy and mystery of Easter.
Isabelle Thompson | Adult Learning Officer
Tickets for the 7.30pm talk are £12 (£6 for students and retired clergy) via our website. Clergy and Readers in the diocese may book complimentary tickets by emailing studycentre@ stalbanscathedral.org.
Following Christ in Alban’s Footsteps
St Albans Cathedral is the United Kingdom’s oldest site of continuous Christian worship, inspired by Alban, Britain’s first saint and martyr.
Our vision and work today is inspired by his story and the Gospel he lived and proclaimed, and so we are committed to:
Welcome & Compassion
Worship & Witness
Courage & Justice
Leadership & Service
Opening times
The Cathedral is open daily 9am – 5pm.
Please donate generously
We need to raise £8,000 a day to keep this Cathedral open.
Tickets
Book online at www.stalbanscathedral.org, in-person at our Box Office, located in the Cathedral Shop, or call 01727 890290.
For the latest information visit our website and sign up for our What’s On newsletter.
