Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer is on at Chester Cathedral this Wednesday, 28 October, and it's part of a daily rhythm that's been running here for a long time. The service starts at 8:15am, and it's the same time Monday to Friday and on Saturdays, so if you miss this one, there's another the next morning.

What you'll find inside is a service that follows the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship, blending set liturgy with hymns, Scripture readings and a sermon. The core of it is the Liturgy of the Word interwoven with canticles, followed by intercessory prayer. It's a pattern that goes back further than you might think: by the fourth century, morning and evening were already the most significant times of the day for prayer, and this service carries that on.

There's a bit of history behind the building too. Chester Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Chester and has been the seat of the bishop since 1541. It stands on the site of the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Werburgh, and the daily worship still follows that same Benedictine pattern. The cathedral is also home to a choir, a café and a gift shop, and it's working towards being carbon neutral by 2030.

If you're coming in, the cathedral is at 12 Abbey Square, Chester, CH1 2HU. Morning Prayer starts at 8:15am, Monday to Friday and Saturday.