‘Clypping (hugging) the church’ will take place at this year’s Mothering Sunday service
Bradford Cathedral will be marking Mothering Sunday on 30th March 2025, and the clergy will be inviting the congregation to “clyp” the cathedral building at the end of the service.
The Very Revd Andy Bowerman, Dean of Bradford, says:
“Clypping is an old English word which means embracing. During our Mothering Sunday service, as we give thanks for our Mother Church, everyone is encouraged to form a circle outside, face the church, and hold hands, and so clyppe – or embrace – her.
“It is a way of showing our thanks to God for our Church and asking him to bless it and all that happens in and through her. It perhaps also reminds us that we are joined together as a community to weave Jesus into the rich and diverse fabric of the City of Bradford and beyond.”
The Revd Pete Gunstone, Minor Canon for Worship and Nurture, says:
“Mothering Sunday has come to be known as ‘Mother’s Day’, a day on which mothers and the gift of mothering in all its forms is celebrated. In the Christian tradition, Mothering Sunday is a day when Christians celebrate the mothering role of the Church as the Body of Christ. The imagery of baptism is one of being reborn, and that rebirth in baptism is the work of the Holy Spirit, operating through the mothering of the Church.
“Moreover, Christians play an essential role in each other’s lives as we nurture each other to grow and become mature in Christ, just as a mother does for her children. So, on Mothering Sunday this year, we will be celebrating the role that the Church – the fellowship of all those who are following Jesus Christ – plays in bringing us to faith, and nurturing us in faith.”
All are welcome to the Mothering Sunday Choral Eucharist on Sunday 30th March 2025 at 10:30am. The service will also be streamed live on the Bradford Cathedral YouTube channel and Facebook page.