About the Day
It was one of the greatest days ever. The fire of the Holy Spirit descended. The Apostles were lit up and raced outside, eager to share the Gospel. Thousands came to faith in a single day. And so the Church was born.
But Pentecost wasn’t just for them, back then. It’s for us, here and now:
“For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to you and
to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him” (Acts 2:39).
Encounter Pentecost is a day to gather with people from around our Archdiocese at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark to experience, reflect on and celebrate the fulfilment of that promise and the power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and the life of the Church in Southwark.
We’ll be doing all this in many different ways - praise and worship, prayer and Sacrament, teaching and testimonies, food, fun and fellowship.
Encounter Pentecost is open to everyone – individuals, families,
parish groups and those simply curious to explore the life of the Church.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Cathedral!
Go to the Programme page for a detailed timetable showing times and locations
for all of the activities throughout the day.
A day for all the family
Activities for children and young people will take place during the day in the Amigo Hall, with morning sessions run by the diocesan education and youth teams.
In the afternoon, a special Music Workshop for children and young people run by Cathedral Director of Music Jonathan Schranz.
Places are limited so we encourage you to pre-book places for your children and young people.
Fr Joe Owusu-Ansah
Homilist at our Vigil Mass
Read about Canon Michael, Fr Joe, Fr Joseph Gulliford
and Jonathan Schranz on our Who’s Who page.
A day of worship + prayer
During the day in the Cathedral you can experience many different ways to encounter God in worship and prayer:
At various times: Praise and Worship led by Fr Joseph Gulliford, Chris and Anita Stribbling and Stella Maduekwe
In the lunchtime period:
Eucharistic Adoration
Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)
Prayer ministry
Reflective prayer with the Southwark Spirituality Commission
Rosary - joining in Archbishop John’s Rosary for Life for the month of May
The day will conclude with a Vigil Mass of Pentecost:
Canon Michael Branch, the Dean of St George’s Cathedral, will preside
Fr Joe Owusu-Ansah, the Sub Dean, will preach
Jonathan Schranz, Director of Music, will lead the music
Fr Emmanuel Mansford CFR
Keynote Speaker
A day of teaching and testimonies
In the morning in the Cathedral, we look forward to the keynote talk from Fr Emmanuel Mansford CFR on The Pentecost Experience, reflecting on the meaning of Pentecost and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church today.
There will be an opportunity to respond in prayer following Fr Emmanuel’s talk - as well as different ways of responding during the extended lunchtime period.
These include not only the prayer opportunities described above, but also a series of short lunchtime talks in the Cowderoy Room organised by the Agency for Evangelisation and Catechesis - more details to follow shortly.
Also at lunchtime, you can take some time to browse the Stalls showcasing the work and produce of a range of groups and apostolates that seek to serve the Church and the community in our Archdiocese and beyond.
In the afternoon in the Cathedral, we’ll hear the testimonies of some lay people in Southwark using their Spirit-given gifts to live out their calling to be missionary disciples in different ways.
Visit our Who’s Who page to read more about Fr Emmanuel, our other Speakers and our Stallholders
Food, fun and fellowship:
a gathering for the whole Archdiocese
Each year at Pentecost we are reminded that the Holy Spirit gathers people from many nations, languages and cultures into one Church - and that’s certainly the case here in Southwark.
Encounter Pentecost is an opportunity for people from different parishes, communities and ministries across the Archdiocese to come together in prayer and celebration, enjoying each other’s company and sharing the gifts that the Spirit has given.
We are delighted to say that, if you decide not to bring your own packed lunch, there will be a wide selection of delicious food on sale, prepared by members of the parish community (and friends!) from Ghana, the Caribbean, Latin America, Nigeria and England.
We encourage you to follow the example of the ladies in the adjacent photo, taken at Aylesford Priory at last year’s Jubilee Celebration, by wearing your national dress.