St Chad's Cathedral hosted this year's annual Civic Mass on Sunday 23 November.

Held each year on the Solemnity of Christ the King and World Youth Sunday, many of those engaged in public life in the city gathered in worship at the Diocesan Mother Church.

This year's civic guests included His Majesty’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Dame Christine Braddock, DBE; Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, MBE, and His Majesty’s Judges.

The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Longley. He opened his Homily with:

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

November is the month of remembrance.  Two weeks ago on Remembrance Sunday, outside St Philip’s Cathedral, people gathered for the city’s annual Service of Remembrance.  We were recalling the memory of all those, service personnel and civilians, who had lost their lives in the course of warfare and in the pursuit of their duty.  Although our remembering bore the marks of sadness it also carried the banner of pride in the selfless sacrifices made for the good of others.

Read Homily in full

As it was World Youth Sunday a Second Collection was held to support the work of the Kenelm Youth Trust (KYT), the Diocesan Youth Service, and Anna Howard spoke on behalf of KYT.

Musical accompaniment was by the St Chad’s Cathedral Choir, led by Professor David Saint.

Mass Booklet

Main photograph:

FRONT ROW L-R
Major Samuel Edgar; Dr Beverley Lindsay OBE; Mr Robert Mountford; Dr Kassapa OBE.

SECOND ROW L-R
Dr Peter Rookes; Judge Jacobs; LL Cadet Bryony Sheard; Lord Mayor of Birmingham; Deputy LL Dame Christine Braddock DBE; Archbishop Bernard Longley; Canon Brian Mc Ginley; Judge Rochford; Judge Gosling; Mr Syed Arman.

THIRD ROW L-R
Dean Matt Thompson; Cllr Afzal; Lady Justice Andrews DBE; Commander Hogan; WO Hayley Trimm; RSM Lee Stoddart.

BACK ROW L-R
Rev Cleopas Sibanda; Mr Simon Foster PCC; Cllr Corrigan; PS David Sammin; Mr Peter Sturgeon; ACC Paul Drover; Cllr Huxtable; Rev Matthew Hopley.

Photo Gallery by Con McHugh

Watch Civic Mass recording