A persistent breeze whipping its way around the western entrance of Ripon Cathedral on Saturday evening, could not extinguish the new light of hope being carried into this ancient place of worship.

The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Rev. Nick Baines (pictured right) in a ceremony designed for the whole of the diocese, marked the return of public prayer to churches. Only private prayer has recently been allowed in buildings which were shut for weeks because of the coronavirus crisis.

The Easter candle was lit from a brazier of burning twigs, before it was carried into the cathedral by Canon Michael Gisborne.

The Bishop, said:

The lockdown that forced the closure of churches and places of worship of all religions across the UK, meant that the Paschal candle could not be lit in the cathedral on Easter Sunday.

Its use in the ceremony added to the symbolism of the event, which was followed by a service attended by dozens of parishioners and guests - all of whom were asked to sanitise their hands, give name and contact details to assist the NHS Test and Trace programme and observe social distancing.

The cathedral opened for private prayer on June 15 and since then has seen a steady flow of people across its threshold, coming to pray, light candles and speak with its priests.

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Some services and reflections will continue to be streamed on YouTube and these can all be accessed via the cathedral's website.