Bishop Paul confirms candidates at Durham Cathedral’s Dawn Service on Easter Day. Holy Oil poured by Precentor Canon David Kennedy
The Right Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham led a dawn service with Initiation and first Communion of Easter at Durham Cathedral today (Easter Day) in which he Baptised one candidate and then Confirmed them along with thirteen other candidates from Churches across the diocese.
The dawn service, often called the Dawn Vigil, is the first service of Easter Day and symbolises the point at which it is proclaimed that Jesus is risen and his new light is cast on the world to lift it from darkness.
During the service, Bishop Paul talked about fear, fear of those around Jesus 2000 years ago and how it must have felt when they discovered that the tomb was empty and he had risen. He went on to talk about fear that Christians across the world feel in places of conflict and turmoil; referring to the stark reality of such situations as demonstrated by the killing of Christians in Kenya just this week.
He also talked about knowing the risen Jesus by faith and experiencing him in everyday life as we live as his disciples and tell others that he is risen.
Those confirmed included 9 candidates (including 1 baptised) from the Cathedral and Chorister School, 1 from St John’s College Durham, 2 from St Nicholas, Durham and 2 from Christ Church, Lumley.
Those confirmed
Durham Cathedral & Chorister School: Adesola Akala, Jonathon Anstee, Lloyd Brown, Jocelyn Bryan, Fraser Davies, Davina Halford-MacLeod, Fergus Inns, Jasmine Oakes (also Baptised), Joel Woodward
From St John’s College, Durham: Hannah Volland
From St Nicholas, Durham: Benjamin Coleman, Sally White
From Christ Church, Lumley: Joshua Paton, Claire Williams