Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin and St Ethelbert
We moved up through the borders, very keen to explore Hereford and its surrounds as this is 'Merrily Watkins Country' - the area which provides the backdrop for the Phil Rickman novels about a woman priest who is also diocesan exorcist/detective; both Jill and I are keen readers!
We caught the end of the Sunday Eucharist, people welcoming and friendly despite our lateness. In terms of interior, the Cathedral has a large parish church type of feel. It was noticeably full for this service, but only six attended Mattins which followed almost immediately. It seemed something of an anti-climax.
These windows capture Traherne's delight in creation, his response to the love of God in Christ, his openness to God's revelation and his love for the 'city' - Heaven or Hereford?!
Three John Piper tapestries were hung a little high for their full impact to be seen. I enjoyed the Craigie Aitchison 'Crucifixion' in the tower crossing - simple and moving as always. We missed the Mappa Mundi (as we were attending on Sunday!) but appreciated all the arts/pilgrimage trail leaflets that were available. The Orchard Art Project particularly added to the sense that the Cathedral is a community where those with special needs are welcomed and supported, and we met some of them at the end of the service.
In his book, 'Britain's holiest places,' Nick Mayhew Smith gives Hereford Cathedral an 11 star rating, stating that it is 'as holy as any Cathedral can be'! Partly this is for the shrines of St Thomas Cantilupe and Ethelbert with an icon and paintings by Peter Murphy. Both he and the Cathedral agree that St Thomas Cantilupe's shrine is 'more than a historical recreation: it is in use again.' It will be interesting to see what long-term impact this has on the spiritual life of the Cathedral.
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