Coronavirus - our stories
National and local stories on the Church's evolving response and developing resources.
For the latest national picture, news and frequently asked questions (FAQ) see churchofengland.org/coronavirus.
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26 Feb 2021
Hymns to sing on Zoom
Two York parish churches have launched a 'bank' of recorded hymns and songs, freely available to other churches to use in online worship.
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26 Jan 2021
Coronavirus: Archbishops invite nation to pause, pray and remember 100,000 people ‘known to God and cherished by God’
"100,000 isn’t just an abstract figure - each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us."
"Death doesn’t have the last word. In God’s kingdom, every tear will be wiped away."The Archbishops of Canterbury and York
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22 Jan 2021
Rural Church seminars grow out of ‘lockdown’ report
Many people in rural parishes are experiencing a new way of expressing their faith and being part of a vibrant and flourishing Church family, says a newly-released report commissioned during the 2020 Covid restrictions by the ecumenical Yorkshire Regional Churches Rural Business Support Group.
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04 Nov 2020
A Letter to the Nation from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have invited the nation to join them in prayer, in a message encouraging ‘calm, courageous and compassionate’ responses to the difficulties of the second national lockdown in England.
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04 Sep 2020
Survey: where do we go from here? Churches, communities & buildings during COVID and beyond
The Church of England with Historic England, the Association of English Cathedrals and the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance invite you to share your experience and insights in a confidential survey by the 30th September.
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26 Jun 2020
Hutton Rudby Go Virtual for Christian Aid Week
When not being able to run their usual Christian Aid coffee morning and cake stall, the church and its LEP decided to go virtual by organising an online plant sale to fundraise for the charity.
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18 Jun 2020
Ordinations 2020: what's happening?
Before the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak the Diocese of York had expected that a number of deacons would have been ordained priest by Archbishop Sentamu in York Minster on Sunday 7th June, as one of his final acts as Archbishop of York.
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29 May 2020
In at the Deep End - Tracy's first months in Scalby
Tracy Squire completed her first month as Children and Families Youth Worker at St Laurence, Scalby, at the end of February. "Then Coronavirus happened..."
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29 May 2020
'Love Your Neighbours' - practical outreach from Newton-on-Ouse
All Saints Church, Newton-on-Ouse (near Easingwold), organised and coordinated a sewing project between the 20th April and the 8th May to love and support their neighbours by supplying scrub bags and face mask extenders to neighbouring surgeries, care homes, community nurses and hospitals.
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14 May 2020
Churches lead in ‘heart-warming’ launch of Carlton and Villages Network
Local churches of several denominations have worked together to take the lead in establishing an Emergency Community Network for the rural area centred on Carlton, (between Selby and Goole) in the south of the Diocese of York.
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07 May 2020
Limited access to church buildings: Archbishop issues guidance
The Archbishop has issued his guidance, applicable in the Diocese of York, for limited access to church buildings with immediate effect.
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07 May 2020
Coronavirus, Church and You; Survey by York St John University
A survey by the Theology department of York St John University is assessing responses to the COVID-19 crisis among churchgoers in the UK.
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01 May 2020
Choir to sing weekly hymns for digital church services across the country
Singers from one of the leading churches in the capital are to record hymns and songs each week for use by clergy and church leaders livestreaming Sunday services across the country during the coronavirus pandemic.
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16 Apr 2020
York Minster plans Memorial Service to comfort those bereaved by the Covid-19 pandemic
A memorial service to comfort relatives and friends bereaved during the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic will take place at York Minster later in the year.
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08 Apr 2020
From the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of the Diocese of York in Holy Week
We are walking together into this holy time through Maundy Thursday to Easter Day. Thank you for our companionship together. We are very aware of all you are giving, enduring and discovering. None of us have trodden this ground before so we are each having to come to terms with the impact of that on us personally and in the way we care for those committed to us.
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03 Apr 2020
National virtual service for Palm Sunday to be led by the Bishop of Manchester
Christians are to be encouraged to make their own paper or card ‘palm’ crosses and display these in their windows in a national virtual church service for Palm Sunday to be broadcast by the Church of England.
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03 Apr 2020
York Minster’s digital worship for Holy Week and Easter
Worship and prayers for Holy Week and Easter at York Minster will be entirely digital for the first time this year – a landmark in the Minster’s 800 year history.
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30 Mar 2020
Caring for Church Buildings during the Pandemic - advice for parishes
The national Archbishops’ Council Cathedral and Church Buildings Division has issued a guidance note to help ensure the safety and security of your church building while you are unable to use it.
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27 Mar 2020
Archbishops affirm Coronavirus advice; churches to remain closed
The Archbishops of York and Canterbury have written to the clergy of the Church of England this evening to reiterate their advice about local churches' response to the Government advice during the present Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
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27 Mar 2020
To the Parishes of the Diocese of York, from the Generous Giving Team
The Diocesan Generous Giving Team have been looking at resources to help parishes to maintain levels of Generosity and Giving to which we are all called over the coming months.
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26 Mar 2020
God's calling for his church: a message from our bishops
Archbishop Sentamu and Bishops Paul, John, Alison and Glyn have recorded a video message for the Diocese from their respective homes at this uniquely difficult time.
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24 Mar 2020
Church of England to close all church buildings to help prevent spread of Coronavirus
All Church of England churches are to close with immediate effect, including for private prayer, in an effort to help limit the transmission of the coronavirus COVID-19
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24 Mar 2020
Archbishops call for Church of England to become radically different as public worship put on hold to help stem spread of coronavirus
The Archbishops of York and Canterbury are calling for Church of England churches to put public worship on hold and become a “different sort of church” in the coming months to face the challenge of coronavirus.
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23 Mar 2020
Coronavirus Update - Safeguarding Training
In the light of the Church of England decision to suspend gatherings, all face to face training in the Diocese of York has been cancelled for the immediate future.
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20 Mar 2020
Archbishop of York streams live Facebook prayers on Mothering Sunday
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu will be streaming live on his Facebook page a short time of prayer this Sunday 22nd March.
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19 Mar 2020
Streams in the Desert: churches take to the air during Coronavirus measures
Far from being disheartened by the news that Coronavirus has led to the cancellation of numerous church services, the churches of the Diocese of York are finding new and innovative ways to get their prayers to the people.