Plymouth’s New City Dean Keen to Set Sail for 2035
Plymouth’s new City Dean said he was excited by the challenge of his new role and getting to know people and praying with them. Rev’d Alex Randle-Bissell was welcomed to the city at a service to licence and commission him led by the Bishop of Exeter at Emmanuel church in Plymouth on Wednesday 15 April. He said afterwards “I’m excited by the expanse of water in front of us all and having a new vision for…
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Churches Celebrate Easter Sunday with Sea Baptisms Across Torbay
Christians from across Torbay gathered along its beaches on Easter Sunday for a series of sea baptisms. Church leaders from around 12 churches of different denominations took to the water to baptise people who decided to make this public commitment to Christian faith. There were around 25 people baptised at Torre Abbey Sands and about 20 people baptised at Paignton beach. The Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt. Rev’d James Grier, said “On Easter Sunday, we…
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Exeter Cathedral Chrism Service a Joyful Moment as Ministers Gather for Maundy Thursday
Clergy from across Devon have marked Maundy Thursday by gathering at Exeter Cathedral to renew their ordination vows and collect holy oils to use for baptism, anointing the sick and other forms of blessing in their parishes. The annual Chrism Eucharist is led by the Bishop of Exeter with music provided by the cathedral choir. This year it was also the last Maundy Thursday service for the Dean of Exeter Cathedral, the Very Rev’d Jonathan…
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Signs of Life After Death All Around Us Says Bishop of Exeter in Easter Message
The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt. Rev’d Dr Mike Harrison, shares this Easter message for 2026: I love seeing the first signs of spring and what could be more hopeful than the young lambs which are a familiar sight in fields across Devon at this time of year. However hard the winter has been, and I realise that it has been a tough one this year, when the sun finally comes out and the lambs…
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New Good Friday Choral Passion Inspired by Dartmoor and Bach
A new musical setting of the Easter Passion story written by a young composer from Devon will be sung in public for the first time on Good Friday at St Petroc’s church in Harford, near Ivybridge. The Baroque-style work for choir, soloists and organ has been written by Nicholas Courtman, the church organist. It also features sections of narrative, which will be performed on Friday by a local actor. He said the inspiration to write…
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