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The Diocese of Sheffield [insert sending parish] – Media Release
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Archbishop of York to lead 21 bishops in historic 4-day event in South Yorkshire this September [replace with snappy title]

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Notes to editors:

About the Crossroads Mission [leave this in to give background details]

The Archbishop of York is working with a team of 21 bishops to engage in four days of mission across Sheffield Diocese from 10-13 September 2015. The mission is known as Crossroads. It’s the first time so many bishops have worked together in mission in this way in a single diocese in the long history of the Church of England.

After an initial service in Sheffield Cathedral on Thursday 10 September, the bishops will be assigned to different parts of the diocese. Hundreds of events will take place across the region in schools, pubs, universities, colleges, shopping centres, community centres, cafes and churches; even the Penistone and Rotherham Shows will be touched by the mission. The hope is that Crossroads will touch many people’s lives and will help them to find a living faith.

Some of the highlights include:

  • Youth event at Flash Lane Rec, Rotherham (10 Sep).
  • Bishop’s shoe shining service, Frenchgate Centre (11 Sep).
  • Working with Street Pastors around Page Hall (11 Sep).
  • Messy Church at the Penistone and Rotherham Shows (11 Sep).
  • A heritage day at Sheffield Cathedral (12 Sep).
  • A visit to The Moor Market by the Archbishop of York (12 Sep).
  • Bishop Libby Lane will be the first female bishop to preach in the Cathedral (13 Sep).
  • Finale event in Rotherham’s, All Saints Square led by the Archbishop of York (13 Sep).

The Bishops are from every diocese in the Province of York and from every tradition. They include the most recent Bishops to be consecrated for the north: Bishop Libby Lane of Stockport, Bishop Philip North of Burnley, and Bishop Alison White of Hull.

  1. Further information, along with details on how to get involved will be posted to
  1. The Bishop of Sheffield’s full blog on Crossroads can be found at:
  1. About the Diocese of Sheffield - the diocese was founded as a Church of England Diocese in 1914. The population of the Diocese is over 1.2 million people across the metropolitan centres of Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster covering an area of 576 square miles across South Yorkshire, East Riding and North East Lincolnshire.

Contact

[Add local contact details here.]

Or alternatively contact: Lindsey-Jane Buxton, Communications Manager, Diocese of Sheffield,

Tel: 01709 309100, Mob: 07547 854911, Email: