​‘Explore the wonder and beauty of The Lord’s Prayer’. That’s the invitation to everyone from the Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev. Philip North, in a new video released this week as he encourages people to sign up to attend an exciting new event at Blackburn Cathedral on the evening of October 10.

The evening is open to everyone, not just people from our parishes.

• Watch the video message about the Tour from Bishop Philip.

The aim of the evening, on October 10 from 7pm – 9pm, is to use the Lord’s Prayer to foster deeper connections with the Christian faith across the north and renew the Church’s missionary purpose to share God’s love with all.

It will be led by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who is visiting all 12 Dioceses in the Northern Province of the Church of England to speak and share the importance and relevance of the Lord’s Prayer to our world today, encouraging people to pray and live by this as part of their missionary discipleship.

All are welcome. Bring your church family and your friends. Click here to book as soon as possible … (scroll to the bottom of the page). The event is free but booking is essential so the Cathedral can prepare for the right numbers.

The Lord’s Prayer is so ingrained in our national psyche that even people who don’t attend church usually know the Lord’s Prayer off by heart.

Prior to the evening event at the Cathedral Archbishop Stephen will also visit several schools across the Diocese to meet pupils and staff and talk to them about the Lord’s Prayer.

And on the day itself and on the run-up to October 10 people from across Lancashire will also be invited to share what The Lord’s Prayer means to them via the Diocesan social media channels. Tag @cofelancs or @BDBofE on X or ‘Blackburn Diocese’ or ‘Blackburn Diocese Board of Education’ on Facebook and share your videos and comments.

The Lord’s Prayer tour is a part of Faith in the North, a new movement across the North of England which looks to encourage prayer, storytelling and church planting inspired by the Northern Saints.

The event on the 10th also coincides with our own Diocesan Year of Prayer for Growth and Renewal which has ben taking place throughout 2025.

Bishop Philip says: “The Lord’s Prayer has shaped the lives of generations of Christians and it’s a special moment to be able to focus afresh on it in this way as part of the Archbishop’s tour.

“I encourage all our parishes to sign up for the evening event at the Cathedral – it will be great to see as many as possible taking part and exploring what the Lord’s Prayer means to them.”

Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, said, “The Lord’s Prayer isn’t just a guide for prayer—it’s an invitation to live differently. It’s a lesson in desire and purpose. God may know what we need, but we don’t always see it ourselves.

“This prayer has been passed down through generations, and while not everyone may know it fully, most people have encountered it in some way.”

• According to Theo Sheridan-Watts, Faith in the North Programme Manager, the focus of Faith in the North is ‘encouraging churches, schools and individuals to explore and respond in a fresh way to the prayer that Jesus taught us’. Theo adds: “We have lots of resources available on our website to help you do exactly that, from newly commissioned songs for children and choirs, collective worship resources for schools and small group resources for churches.” Visit the website here.

Ronnie Semley, August 2025