The effect of the pandemic on cathedrals in England has been revealed as annual figures showed a 64 per cent drop for in-person worshippers in 2020, when the country spent months in lockdown and cathedrals and churches were closed.
Most cathedrals adapted quickly to move services online, and, although emergency government funding helped cathedrals to survive their catastrophic loss in income, it is still today a “challenging environment” for most, the Dean of Leicester, the Very Revd David Monteith, warned, particularly as cathedrals now face huge rises in energy bills.
He urged people to continue to support cathedrals. “Cathedrals across the country are working hard to welcome back more visitors and worshippers, and the picture has improved in the time since this data was gathered,” he said. “But it remains a challenging environment, not least because of current utility cost increases.
Annual figures reveal effect of lockdown on cathedrals https://t.co/y4v5ZukF4B
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 25, 2022