Candlemas & The Feast of the Child Bishop - 06/02/20

This year Candlemas was celebrated on 2 February, 40 days after Jesus’s birth.  Also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

It marks the end of the season of Epiphany.  Traditionally, people would bring their candles to church for a blessing on this day.

Another tradition revisited at the Priory today was the Feast of the Child Bishop.  The words from the Magnificat ‘He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek’ were taken literally.  The youngest children in the choir removed the vicar from the pulpit and replaced him with a Child Bishop who gave a short sermon and the blessing at the end of Evensong.