Private School News

Stonyhurst College leads ecumenical service at Blackburn Cathedral

Stonyhurst College, the Catholic boarding school in Lancashire, led an ecumenical service for Lent at Blackburn’s Anglican Cathedral on Monday 22nd March. Prayers were read jointly by the College Chaplain, Fr John Twist, SJ, and the Dean of Blackburn, The Very Reverend Christopher Armstrong, with the Headmaster, Mr Andrew Johnson, reading an extract from the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr. Stonyhurst’s Schola Cantorum sang music by Stanford and a setting of Be thou my vision with a piano duet accompaniment, played by Joann Belon (Year 11) and Pawel Rzemieniecki (Year 13), conducted by Dr Kevin Morgan. They also sang Allegri’s Miserere with the verse sections exquisitely sung by Megan Hindle and Catriona Graffius (both in Year 12). The service finished with a new choral setting of the Pater Noster by Stonyhurst teacher, Mr Jonathan Sharples.

Headmaster, Mr Andrew Johnson, said: “I was delighted Stonyhurst was invited by the Dean of Blackburn to lead this act of worship at the Cathedral. It is a clear manifestation of our growing ecumenical collaboration.”

Photo: Stonyhurst College Schola Cantorum in Blackburn Cathedral, with Fr John Twist, SJ on the left.