Farewell to the Bishop of London

People are invited to post social media messages of praise and thanks at a special 'Pop-Up Cathedral' on the streets of London. 

St Paul's is holding a service to say Farewell to the Bishop of London at 6pm on Thursday 2 February. 

A Pop-Up Cathedral will be set up for a parallel act of worship in Paternoster Square on the north side of St Paul's. The service will be led by the Bishop of Edmonton and the Revd Peter Hughes.

The services inside and outside the Cathedral are unticketed and everyone is welcome.

Cathedral doors open 5pm - we advise you to arrive early and to be seated by 5.40pm 

The outdoor service gathers together themes and people from Bishop Richard's ministry in London over the last 33 years. 

Read the Order of Service for the Sung Eucharist for The Presentation of Christ in the Temple - Candlemas  - & Farewell to the Bishop of London

Archdeacon of London the Ven Luke Miller, organiser of the outdoor service, said: 'We aim to make use of social media to send the message that Christ is the Light of the World to millions of people.

'The Bishop’s sermon and other parts of the cathedral service will be shown on a big screen in the Square, and there will be music, prayer and proclamation.

'Holy Communion will be shared by everyone inside and outside the cathedral as the whole body of Christ comes together with the Bishop.' 

Bishop Richard will tell the outdoor congregation: 'I began life as an ink monitor in a primary school. I retire in a digital world. It’s a long distance from steel nibs and copperplate to smart apps and the Twittersphere, but it gives us an opportunity of communicating.'

He will invite people in Paternoster Square and everyone on Twitter to post one or all of the hashtags 

#LightoftheWorld  

 #BishopsFarewell2London

#BF2L

During the service the Bishop will hand over his Crozier - the hooked staff he carries as a symbol of  his office - to the Bishop of Willesden, who will be Acting Bishop of London until a new appointment.