Light of Hope extended to cover lockdown

Devised by light artist Peter Walker and supported by Arts Council England, the illumination was originally set up to mark All Saints’ Tide, with Salisbury Cathedral joining other cathedrals across the country to illuminate the sky and send out a message of hope.

Now the display, with its beams rising from the Cathedral roof to form a cross of light intersecting at the pinnacle of the Spire, will shine out for the duration of lockdown. A beacon of hope in difficult times.

The Light of Hope was launched at the time when the church remembers those who have died and celebrates their lives. A prayer afternoon on All Souls’ Day saw more than a hundred people pause to pray, creating a huge cross of candles in the cathedral Nave.

During the service the Cathedral Choir sang the Faure Requiem and the names of loved ones were read out as part of the prayers.

The Revd Anna Macham, Salisbury Cathedral’s Canon Precentor said:

“It is important that, at a time when we cannot worship as normal, we remind people that we are there for them and the God’s Love extends beyond this building to all. Our community is astonishingly resilient, and we hope that in faith and prayer we can support them.”