The opening of Leeds Cathedral and the Church of the Holy Rosary for Mass

We are looking forward to the safe return to Mass in the Cathedral and Holy Rosary on Sunday 12th July. Please read the following information carefully.

It is necessary to register your intention to attend one of the scheduled Masses. The number of how many can attend each Mass is capped at the capacity of the church. The online booking system is available at the top this page. For those not on the internet, it will be possible to register via telephone soon as well.  Instructions about how to register online are available when you click on the above Register for Mass buttons. In the meantime, some information: 

The obligation to attend Mass on a Sunday remains suspended.  Due to the restricted numbers, please consider if you could come to a weekday Mass rather than a Sunday Mass, in particular to give an opportunity to those who cannot attend during the week to come to Mass.  Please also consider how often you register for Mass.  It may be possible once a week, but it might need to be less frequent so that as many people as possible may attend over a period of time.

The Cathedral and Holy Rosary are being prepared to welcome you safely back to Mass.  We will need to maintain physical distancing and good hand hygiene.  Each Mass will have at least two stewards who will greet you at the door.  Please read the signs carefully as to which door to use. If there is  a queue outside the church, please maintain good physical distancing. You will be asked to sanitise your hands as you enter and give your name so that it can be checked against the list of those who have registered to attend that particular Mass.  This information will be kept for 21 days for track and trace.  There will be a one way system in place and the available seating will be labelled.  Those of the same household or in a social bubble may sit together.  Please follow the directions of the stewards.  There will be no Holy Water, no congregational singing, no printed bulletin and so on.  Holy Communion will be distributed in your places to avoid people moving.  At the end of Mass you will be asked to leave bench by bench in the one way system and to sanitise your hands as you exit the church. There is a lot more information in the FAQs document in the Downloads section. A timetable of Masses can be found below the details about live-streaming. 

Daily Live-streaming from Leeds Cathedral

Holy Mass on weekdays at 10.30am and on Sundays at 11.00am; the Angelus and Rosary at 12noon Monday to Saturday.  Please note that the weekday live-streaming times will change on Monday 13th July.  Please see the timetable below. 

To participate online, please access the following new YouTube channel: www.leedscathedrallive.org.uk  and it may also be accessed by clicking on the above image of the Cathedral.

Please consider texting CHURCH LIVE to 70500 to contribute £5 to the Offertory of our Mother Church.

The timetable for the celebration of Holy Mass and the other Sacraments from 12th July:

Sunday Masses: Cathedral Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9.15am (note change of time), 11am & 6pm; Holy Rosary 10.30am

Weekday Masses: Cathedral Monday – Friday 12.30pm, Saturday 12 noon; Tuesday & Thursday 5.30pm; Holy Rosary Friday 10.00am (from 24th July)

Confessions: Cathedral Tuesday, Thursday, Friday after the 12.30pm Mass; Tuesday and Thursday after the 5.30pm. This will be for 30 minutes. For the time being only those who attend the Mass prior to the time of Confessions will be able to celebrate the Sacrament.  

Rosary: Cathedral Monday – Friday 11.50am; Saturday 11.20am – this will be live-streamed. 

Due to the requirement to have stewards present during the times the churches are open it will not be possible for the time being to open for private prayer after Saturday 11th July. We will review this and keep you updated. 

The Cathedral is open for individual private prayer.  The times of opening this week are as follows: Wednesday to Friday 1.30pm – 5.30pm, and Saturday 3.30pm – 5.30pm (due to a Wedding).  Please observe physical distancing and the directions of the volunteer stewards.

The Holy Rosary Church remains closed until further notice.

Re-opening Volunteers: I am very grateful to those who have responded to this appeal already; however, we need more volunteers; without your help will will not be able to open for Mass. If you wish to help, or wish to find out more, please contact the Cathedral Dean and Parish Priest, Canon Matthew Habron,  at dean.cathedral@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Window on the Word: This initiative is part of the Year of the Word and simply involves taking a digital photograph from the safety of your home or garden and matching it to the Bible verse it reminds you of. The instructions are in the link:

https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/education/window-on-the-word/

Prayer Resources

The publishers of Magnificat have made it available online at: www.magnificat.com/free

Parish Census

In these days, we have become more aware than ever of the importance of keeping in touch with one another, especially as we are unable to gather together for Mass each Sunday. It has been a while since there was a parish census. A census enables us to keep up to date with parishioners and also to build up a database of those who wish to be kept informed about parish life by email. A simple census form is available in the Downloads section. Hard copies of the form will also be made available in the churches when we reopen them. Please do take the time to complete the census.

Covid-19 Updates from the Diocese and Bishop Marcus

For up to date information from the Diocese re COVID-19 please click on the following link:

https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/cessation-of-public-masses-in-the-diocese-of-leeds/ 

A Welcome from the Dean of the Cathedral

Leeds Cathedral is one of the finest Catholic Cathedrals in England.

Dedicated to Saint Anne, the mother of Our Lady, the Cathedral is situated in the heart of Leeds city centre and contrasts with the surrounding new hotels and office blocks, The Light shopping centre, and the Victorian Town Hall.

The Cathedral is a place of silence and prayer which provides a refuge from the activity of one of Britain’s busiest cities. This atmosphere of peace has grown through the daily celebration of the Liturgy, and every afternoon there is silent Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. This sense of God’s peaceful presence is the Cathedral’s chief glory.

I hope all visitors to Leeds will discover this great treasure of the Diocese and City of Leeds.

The Very Rev Canon Matthew Habron Cathedral Dean