‘Opening Doors’ – Cathedral Hosts Virgers’ Conference
Blackburn Cathedral recently hosted the 2026 Deans’ Virgers’ Conference and AGM. We welcomed 28 members from cathedrals across the country for three days of worship, conversation, learning and fellowship, under the theme 'Opening Doors and Welcoming the World'.
Head Virger Alex Barnes shares details of the conference with our congregation and wider community, explaining how the theme speaks directly to what we do here at Blackburn Cathedral: welcoming people into our Cathedral and helping them feel that they belong.
We began with a reflective session led by our conference chaplain, Bishop Graeme Knowles. He invited us to describe life in our respective vestries using the weather as a metaphor. Were things sunny or stormy, and what might the forecast hold? It was a thoughtful way to begin, giving us space to speak honestly, listen to one another and recognise the experiences we share.
Our next session, led by the Archdeacon of Lancaster, David Picken, explored how our cathedrals are used, the impact of their doors being closed during the pandemic, and our desire never to see those closures repeated. His description of cathedrals as a “gift of space in a crowded world” stayed with me and others. It reminded us that what people experience when they enter a cathedral can be just as important as anything they hear.
We spoke openly about the demands of keeping our buildings welcoming. Virgers help make worship, events and visits possible, often moving between preserving cherished traditions and finding new ways of doing things. There was much encouragement in sharing both the joys and the challenges of our work.
Worship was at the heart of our time together. At our Festal Evensong, our chairman read the first lesson, and The Revd. Canon Andrew Horsfall, Interim Dean of Blackburn, offered prayers for the conference and for virgers everywhere. The prayers spoke particularly of patience in small things, gladness in long service and a quiet spirit in moments of haste – words that will resonate with many who serve our Cathedral in different ways.
We then enjoyed an evening meal at Checks & Greys, with time to renew friendships and get to know those attending the conference for the first time. Afterwards, we continued our conversations in a local hostelry.
On Tuesday morning, we travelled by vintage bus, kindly provided by Paul Fielding – a highlight for everyone.
Accompanied by Fr. David D’Silva, Canon for Presence and Engagement, we visited the new Masjid E Vali Mosque, where we received a warm welcome and a tour of the building and its facilities. We then crossed over the road to St Silas’ Church, where Fr. David spoke about his work with other faiths, the close relationship between the church and mosque, and the challenges facing our local communities in Blackburn.
This visit brought our conference theme to life. We had the opportunity to receive the hospitality of others, learn about our neighbours and see how relationships between faith communities are being built here in Blackburn, including through new local initiatives.
Back at the Cathedral, Bishop Graeme presided at our Conference Eucharist. Reflecting on Holy Cross Day, which had fallen the day before, he encouraged us in our ministry and drew together the experiences we had shared, particularly our visits to the mosque and St Silas’.
Later on Tuesday, Pat Davey led training through SAFE—Security Advice for Everyone – an initiative of the Community Security Trust (CST). Members of the Cathedral staff team attended in the morning, and conference members took part in the afternoon. The sessions covered conflict management and hostile reconnaissance, helping us think carefully about how we welcome people while keeping our buildings and those within them safe. This is an important part of the practical work that supports an open and hospitable Cathedral.
That evening, 40 of us gathered around ‘The Table of the Nation‘ for the conference gala dinner, generously sponsored by Charles Farris, the church supplies company. Its representatives joined us alongside the Interim Dean and our after-dinner speaker, Fr. Andrew Teather of St Stephen on the Cliffs, Blackpool. Fr. Andrew shared stories and reflections from his varied liturgical career, bringing warmth and humour to a memorable evening.
On the final morning, our guests enjoyed a guided tour led by Cathedral Archivist Sue Hall before gathering for area meetings, the AGM and an open forum.
Speaking after the conference, Alex said:
Looking back, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to bring this conference to Blackburn. We may be less familiar to visitors than some of the cathedrals represented, so this was a welcome opportunity to showcase Blackburn Cathedral and all that it offers. It also allowed me to introduce colleagues to something of our local community, while learning from their experiences of serving as virgers elsewhere.
I would also like to thank everyone who helped make these three days possible. Hosting a conference takes a great deal of work, much of it behind the scenes. I am grateful for the care and welcome shown to our guests, and for the help and support of the Cathedral Chapter, Checks & Greys, and our clergy and staff team.
My hope is that the encouragement and learning we took from these days will continue to shape our work here and at other cathedrals, as we keep opening our doors and welcoming the world.
Alex Barnes
Head Virger
Blackburn Cathedral Centenary: 1926-2026
This event was one of a number of flagship events taking place during 2026, our Centenary year.
Learn more about our Centenary celebrations and see how you can get involved.
