Boy Bishop custom marked at Norwich Cathedral

Reviving a custom from the Middle Ages, 13-year-old Sam Irvine was made the Chorister Bishop at the Festal Evensong at Norwich Cathedral on St Nicholas Day.

One of Norwich Cathedral’s choristers was made a Chorister Bishop at a special Evensong to celebrate St Nicholas, the patron saint of children.

The service on Friday 6 December was attended by the Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Revd Dr Jane Steen, who blessed Sam and presented him with a book of prayers, before Sam gave his homily in which he talked about how if everyone worked together the world would be a better place.

Sam said: “I know I am young, but I believe that if we all care about the same things - like fairness, kindness, helping the planet, and making sure everyone has a chance to live a good life - we can make the world a better place. Don’t wait for someone else to change things, take the lead and show others the way. We all have to do our part.”

The custom of Boy Bishop was widespread in the Middle Ages, when the Bishop of the Diocese would symbolically stand to one side on St Nicholas Day and allow a boy to take his place.

Traditionally, the boy would remain in his role until Holy Innocents’ Day on 28 December and the boy would lead his peers, usually fellow choristers, in the taking of all the services except the Mass.

The idea behind bringing back the custom of a child Bishop - known today as a Chorister Bishop - to Norwich Cathedral was to highlight the importance of young people.

The St Nicholas Day Evensong was part of Norwich Cathedral’s programme of services and events for Advent and Christmas. Friday (6 December) also saw the Blessing of the Outdoor Crib outside the Cathedral and on Saturday (7 December) Norwich Cathedral Choir and Norwich Baroque performed Handel’s Messiah by candlelight.

There is lots more still to enjoy at Norwich Cathedral as the countdown to Christmas continues. This Saturday (14 December) all are welcome to join us for Carols in the Cloister at 4pm and throughout the afternoon from 2.30pm families can enjoy free Christmas crafts in the Bowerbank Room.

For all the latest information about festive services and events at Norwich Cathedral, visit cathedral.org.uk/christmas

Photo by Bill Smith

Sam's homily:
So I am standing here -  I am pretty nervous - but I’m thinking a lot about the world and all the things happening around us. I am still a child and I know I don’t know everything - or nowhere near everything - but I know that things are not always the way they should be in the world for lots of people.  And I think it is up to all of us to try and make things better if we can. 

First, let me talk about some of my friends and what they think. When I asked them what they think we need to make better, and what worries them, they said they think about all of the wars we hear about, global warming and unfairness. 
My friends come from different backgrounds, have had different experiences and have different ideas but we all get on. We play together, we laugh, and we share our stories and our worries, but we don’t always see adults doing the same.
It should not matter where someone comes from, where they live or what they look like but sometimes people judge others just because they are different. It is just not fair. Everyone should be treated with respect. I think we should be kind to everyone, no matter where they come from.

Children of my age hear a lot about global warming. We see the news stories, and hear grown-ups talking about it, but they need to try to fix it. If we want to save the planet for everyone, we all need to do our bit. For example, why are we still using so many plastic bottles when we know it is bad for the Earth? We waste food and drive cars which make the air dirty. We can all do little things, like recycling, walking instead of driving, and turning off lights when we’re not using them. If we all work together, we can make a big difference.
We hear so much about war all over the world. I don’t understand why countries fight each other. I mean, why can’t grown-ups just talk things through? I know there are lots of complicated reasons that cause wars but I think if everyone sat down and listened to each other, instead of fighting, we could solve a lot of the problems. It seems to us as children that there is a lot of hate in the world, and it makes me really sad. We should not be teaching people to hate each other. We should teach kindness and understanding, not violence.

Oh, and one more thing my friends said was a problem for them was ‘why are the sausage rolls in the school refectory so expensive?’  It is just pastry and sausage, so I can see what they mean!  But that then makes me think, if things are too expensive, what about the people who cannot even afford a simple snack. If we are going to live in a world that is fair and equal, we should make sure everyone can get what they need, even something simple like a snack at school?


Something that is really important to me as a Christian is that Jesus taught us to love one another, no matter what.     He said, “Love your neighbour as yourself,”. 
If we all followed that, we would not have wars, we would not have hate, and we would not treat people unfairly. Jesus showed us how to care for others, especially those who are different or in need, and He stood up for what was right. It is not about being perfect, but about trying our best to love others the way Jesus loves us. If we try to live by those values, we can make the world a kinder, fairer place for everyone. And when we face problems like global warming or unfairness , we can remember that we are all part of God’s creation, and it is our job to take care of it and each other.

I know I am young, but I believe that if we all care about the same things - like fairness, kindness, helping the planet, and making sure everyone has a chance to live a good life - we can make the world a better place. Don’t wait for someone else to change things, take the lead and show others the way. We all have to do our part.

After talking to my friends about this, I think we would all want to say to the adults: please try to be better friends, be more understanding, and kinder to everyone, no matter where they come from or who they are,  and - that way - we think the world would be a better place for everyone.

Amen
By Sam Irvine