The Dedication of the Cathedral

The Feast of the Dedication of Middlesbrough Cathedral

Feast Day | 15 May

Each year we commemorate the dedication of our Cathedral, the mother church of our diocese. On this day we celebrate the Local Church of the Diocese of Middlesbrough, which is God’s people in this part of the country.

The Cathedral is no mere construction of bricks and mortar, it is a place of salvation where the Gospel is proclaimed and the holy Mysteries are celebrated. It is a ‘sign’ to believers and unbelievers alike that God calls all people to journey in faith on the pilgrimage of life.

In the cathedral, as in all those other churches where our different communities gather, we find a home where God’s people are nourished by his Word and Sacraments. There the waters of baptism overwhelm the shame of sin so that we may live in grace. There we gather to celebrate the Paschal Lamb and be fed with the Word and the Body of Christ. There the poor find justice, the victims of oppression discover true freedom and the whole world is invited to enter with gladness into the way of peace. (see the ‘Prayer of Dedication of a Church’).

Christ founded the Church in the world so that she might put the world in touch with God. In carrying out this mission she shows us the meaning of our own existence and encourages all those who follow Christ (the perfect human being) to become more fully human themselves. Her one purpose is to lead all people to salvation in the kingdom of God, and this spiritual mission leads her like her Master to offer herself in service to the whole community of humankind.

On today’s feast, when we recall the day the Cathedral was dedicated to God’s service, may this vision of the mystery of the Church grow in our minds and hearts that we may give him worship and rejoice in his presence.