The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael, commonly known as Coventry Cathedral, is the seat of the

Bishop of Coventry The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichf ...

and the

Diocese of Coventry The Diocese of Coventry is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Coventry, who sits at Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, and is assisted by one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Warwick. The dioce ...

within the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. The cathedral is located in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, West Midlands,

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The current dean is John Witcombe. Bishop

Sophie Jelley Sophie Rebecca Jelley ( Capitanchik; born 1972) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2025, she has served as the Bishop of Coventry; she was previously the suffragan Bishop of Doncaster in the Diocese of Sheffield since 2020. Early life and e ...

will be welcomed and installed in the Cathedral as Bishop of Coventry on Saturday 7 June 2025. The city has had three

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

s. The first was St Mary's, a

monastic Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...

building, from 1102 to 1539, of which only a few

ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

remain. The second was St Michael's, a 14th-century Gothic church designated as a cathedral in 1918, which remains a ruined shell after its

bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, apart from its tower and spire, which rise to . The third, consecrated in 1962, is the new St Michael's Cathedral, built immediately adjacent to the ruins and tower of the former cathedral – together forming both a symbol of war-time destruction and barbarity, and also of peace and reconciliation.

St Mary's Priory

Coventry had a medieval cathedral that survived until the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

. This was

St Mary's Priory and Cathedral St Mary's Priory and Cathedral was a Roman Catholic institution in Coventry, England, founded in the 12th century by transformation of the former monastery of St Mary, and destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the early 16th ce ...

, 1095 to 1102, when

Robert de Limesey __NOTOC__ Robert de Limesey (died 1117) was a medieval cleric. He became Bishop of Chester in 1085, then his title changed to Bishop of Coventry when the see was moved in 1102.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 253 Robert was ...

moved the bishop's see from

Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...

to Coventry, until 1539 when it fell victim to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

's dissolution of the monasteries. Prior to 1095, it had been a small Benedictine monastery (endowed by

Leofric, Earl of Mercia Leofric (died 31 August or 30 September 1057) was an Earl of Mercia. He founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock and was a very powerful earl under King Cnut and his successors. Leofric was the husband of Lady Godiva. Life Leofric was ...

and his wife

Godiva Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. She is mainly remembere ...

in 1043). Shortly after 1095 rebuilding began and by the middle of the 13th century it was a cathedral of in length and included many large outbuildings. Leofric was probably buried within the original

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

church in Coventry. However, records suggest that Godiva was buried at

Evesham Abbey Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in Worcestershire, England between 700 and 710 following an alleged vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Virgin Mary by a swineherd by the name of Eof. According to the monastic history, Evesh ...

, alongside her father

confessor In a number of Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism, a confessor is a priest who hears the confessions of penitents and pronounces absolution. History During the Diocletianic Persecut ...

, Prior Æfic. It was the only medieval cathedral to be demolished at the Reformation.

St Michael's Cathedral

First structure

St Michael's Church was largely constructed between the late 14th century and early 15th century from

red sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains, cemented together by another mineral. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed o ...

. It was one of the largest parish churches in England when, in 1918, it was elevated to cathedral status on the creation of the

. This St Michael's Cathedral now stands ruined, bombed almost to destruction during the

Coventry Blitz The Coventry Blitz ( blitz: from the German word ''Blitzkrieg'' meaning "lightning war" ) was bombing that took place on the British city of Coventry. The city was bombed many times during the Second World War by the German Air Force (''Luftw ...

of 14 November 1940 by the German

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

. Only the tower, spire, the outer wall and the bronze effigy and tomb of its first bishop,

Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs Huyshe Wolcott Yeatman-Biggs (2 February 184514 April 1922; until 1898 known as Huyshe Wolcott Yeatman) was an influential Church of England clergyman who served as the only Anglican Bishop of Southwark, Bishop of Southwark to be a suffragan bis ...

, survived. The ruins of this older cathedral remain hallowed ground and are listed at Grade I. Following the bombing of the cathedral in 1940, Provost

Richard Howard Richard Joseph Howard (October 13, 1929 – March 31, 2022), adopted as Richard Joseph Orwitz, was an American poet, literary critic, essayist, teacher, and translator. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a graduate of Columbia University, ...

had the words "Father Forgive" inscribed on the wall behind the altar of the ruined building. The

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

rises to 284 feet (87 metres) to the base of the weathervane, and is the tallest structure in the city. It is also the third tallest cathedral spire in England, with only

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

and

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

cathedrals rising higher. When the height of the weathervane is included, it is 290 feet (88 metres) high.

Present structure

The current St Michael's Cathedral, built next to the remains of the old one, was designed by

Basil Spence Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Moderni ...

and Arup, was built by John Laing and is a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. The selection of Spence for the work was a result of a competition held in 1950 to find an architect for the new Coventry Cathedral; his design was chosen from over two hundred submitted. Spence (later knighted for this work) insisted that instead of rebuilding the old cathedral, it should be kept in ruins as a garden of remembrance and that the new cathedral should be built alongside, the two buildings together effectively forming one church. The use of Hollington sandstone for the new Coventry Cathedral provides an element of unity between the buildings. The

foundation stone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...

of the new cathedral was laid by

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

on 23 March 1956. The unconventional

flèche Flèche or Fleche may refer to: * Flèche (architecture), a type of church spire * Flèche (cycling), a team cycling competition * Flèche (fencing), an aggressive offensive fencing technique * Flèche (fortification), a defensive work *, ships of ...

is tall and was lowered onto the flat roof by a helicopter, flown by Wing Commander John Dowling in April 1962. The cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962 by

Cuthbert Bardsley Cuthbert Killick Norman Bardsley (28 March 1907 – 9 January 1991) was an Anglican bishop and evangelist who served as Bishop of Croydon from 1947 to 1956 and Bishop of Coventry from 1956 to 1976. It was during his tenure at Coventry that ...

, Bishop of Coventry with

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

's ''

War Requiem The ''War Requiem'', Op. 66, is a choral and orchestral composition by Benjamin Britten, composed mostly in 1961 and completed in January 1962. The ''War Requiem'' was performed for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, in the Englis ...

'', composed for the occasion, premiered in the new cathedral on 30 May to mark its consecration. Coventry's new cathedral adopted a modernist design, and the interior is notable for its modern artworks. These include a huge

tapestry Tapestry is a form of Textile arts, textile art which was traditionally Weaving, woven by hand on a loom. Normally it is used to create images rather than patterns. Tapestry is relatively fragile, and difficult to make, so most historical piece ...

of Christ, designed by

Graham Sutherland Graham Vivian Sutherland (24 August 1903 – 17 February 1980) was a prolific English artist. Notable for his paintings of abstract landscapes and for his portraits of public figures, Sutherland also worked in other media, including printmakin ...

. At 23 metres tall and 12 metres wide, it was once thought to be the world's largest tapestry, made in one single piece. The cathedral is also home to an emotive sculpture of the ''Mater Dolorosa'' by John Bridgeman in the East end, and the Baptistry window designed by John Piper (made by

Patrick Reyntiens Nicholas Patrick Reyntiens OBE (; 11 December 1925 – 25 October 2021) was a British stained-glass artist, described as "the leading practitioner of stained glass in this country." Personal life Reyntiens was born in December 1925 at 68 Cad ...

) of abstract design that occupies the full height of the bowed

baptistery In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...

, comprising 195 panes, ranging from white to deep colours. The stained glass windows in the Nave, by Lawrence Lee, Keith New and

Geoffrey Clarke Geoffrey Clarke (28 November 1924 – 30 October 2014) was a British sculptor of ecclesiastical art and maker of stained glass. Life and work Clarke was a student of Ronald Grimshaw and attended the Royal College of Art in 1948 after serving ...

, face away from the congregation. Spence's concept for these Nave windows was that the opposite pairs would represent a pattern of growth from birth to old age, culminating in heavenly glory nearest the altar—one side representing Human, the other side, the Divine. Also worthy of note is the Great West Window known as the ''Screen of Saints and Angels'', engraved directly onto the screen in expressionist style by John Hutton. A pane of the Hutton window, depicting ''The Angel with the Eternal Gospel'', was smashed during a burglary in January 2020. (Although referred to as the West Window, this is the 'liturgical west' opposite the altar which is traditionally at the east end. In this cathedral the altar is actually at the north end.) The foundation stone, the ten stone panels inset into the walls of the cathedral called the ''Tablets of the Word'', and the baptismal font were designed and carved by the émigré German letter carver

Ralph Beyer Ralph Alexander Beyer (6 April 1921 – 13 February 2008) was a German letter-cutter, sculptor and teacher. He was most noted for his work on Basil Spence's new Coventry Cathedral where Beyer carved ''Tablets of the Words''.

. Their lettering was inspired by early Christian inscriptions, especially as seen in Roman crypts. The lectern has a bookrest in the form of an eagle, by the sculptor

Elisabeth Frink Dame Elisabeth Jean Frink (14 November 1930 – 18 April 1993) was an English sculptor and printmaker. Her ''Times'' obituary noted the three essential themes in her work as "the nature of Man; the 'horseness' of horses; and the divine in ...

, who also designed the canopy for the Bishop's throne. File:Coventry Cathedral -from above-8.jpg, The new cathedral as seen from the tower of the old cathedral File:Coventry Cathedral Interior, West Midlands, UK - Diliff.jpg, The interior of the new cathedral File:Christ in Glory tapestry by Graham Sutherland in Coventry Cathedral.jpg, '' Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph'', tapestry by

Ministry and Mission

The ministry and mission of the newly consecrated Cathedral has been shaped by the twin priorities of resurrection and reconciliation, established by Provost Howard in the days after the bombing in 1940. The first Provost of the new Cathedral, appointed in 1958 in readiness for the opening in 1962, was HCN (Bill) Williams, who brought the phrase “Christians heal the wounds of history” from his native South Africa. Williams focussed the new Cathedral on witnessing to what God was doing in the world, rather than inside the church, leading a team who were deeply involved in ministry in the city, including the poorer areas, different faith communities, and industry. He also built relationships with Germany and elsewhere in the world through the Community of the Cross of Nail
link
The outward focus of the Cathedral and commitment to reconciliation has remained core to its work, and shapes the work of the whole of the Diocese of Coventry. Successive deans have brought their own theological and missional emphases. Dean John Petty

ates Ates is a given name and a surname which may refer to: * Roscoe Ates (1895–1962), American vaudeville performer, actor, comedian and musician * Sonny Ates Charles "Sonny" Ates (March 28, 1935 – October 25, 2010) was an American racecar driv ...

brought a focus on the healing ministry. Dean John Irvine, one of the co-authors of the Alpha Course had a strong emphasis on bible teaching and evangelism. Dean John Witcombe (from 2013) has renewed the early priorities of reconciliation in the world, especially using the arts as a way of stimulating imagination and establishing the role of Canon for Arts and Reconciliation. The Cathedral’s story, embodied in its art and architecture, make it a popular venue for Christian and other events for organisations that want to draw from its values. Since 1962 the Cathedral, encompassing the ruins and new building, has hosted many innovative events, both religious and secular. It continues to be host to an international network of partners working for reconciliation, the Community of the Cross of Nails The cathedral is also known for innovation in its services. As well as the expected traditional services (on Sundays,

eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

at 10:30 am and choral

evensong Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. It is loosely based on the canonical hours of vespers and compline. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which ...

at 4 pm), there is a 6 pm Sunday service with contemporary music, preaching and

prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

ministry. The Cathedral Youth Work runs Goth church and Urban Church outreach congregations for local groups of young people, an equipping and supporting cell group for youth workers within Coventry churches as well as a number of other regular groups. There continues to be a strong influence of reconciliation within the theology (both vertical: reconciling people to God; and horizontal: reconciling individuals and groups). This is present throughout the ministry of the cathedral but is most clearly seen in the International Centre for Reconciliation and the International Network of Communities of the Cross of Nails. The reconciliation work exists locally in reconciling churches and community groups but also internationally (predominantly in the Middle East and central Africa) working with terrorists and dictators as well as local churches, tribes and gangs.

Justin Welby Justin Portal Welby (born 6 January 1956) is an Anglican bishop who served as the 105th archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 2013 to 2025. After an 11-year career in the oil industry, Welby trained for ordination at St John ...

(then a canon of the cathedral) established a special day for bereaved parents in the cathedral after the death of his own daughter. There is now an annual service commemorating the lives of children who have died. A book with the names of dead children is on display in the cathedral and anyone whose child has died under any circumstances can ask for their child's name to be added to the book.

Symbols of reconciliation

The old cathedral grounds are home to a number of symbols of reconciliation to complement the church's mission. At first, however, the cathedral and its symbols represented the wartime destruction and barbarity.

The Charred Cross

The Charred Cross was created after the cathedral was bombed during the

of the

. The cathedral stonemason, Jock Forbes, saw two wooden beams lying in the shape of a cross and tied them together. A replica of the Charred Cross built in 1964 has replaced the original in the ruins of the old cathedral on an altar of rubble. The original is now kept on the stairs linking the cathedral with St Michael's Hall below.

The Cross of Nails

The Cross of Nails, also created after the Blitz, was made of three nails from the roof truss of the old cathedral by Provost Richard Howard of Coventry Cathedral at the suggestion of a young friend, the Reverend Arthur Philip Wales. It was later transferred to the new cathedral, where it sits in the centre of the altar cross. It has become a symbol of peace and reconciliation across the world. There are over 260 Cross of Nails Centres all over the world, all of them bearing a cross made of three nails from the ruins, similar to the original one. When there were no more of these nails, a continuing supply has come from a prison in Germany. They are coordinated by the International Centre for Reconciliation. 16-142a Coventry Cross

One of the crosses made of nails from the old cathedral was donated to the

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (), mostly known simply as the Memorial Church (German: ''Gedächtniskirche'' ) is a Protestant church affiliated with the Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia, a regional body ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, which was destroyed by Allied bombing and is also kept as a ruin alongside a newer building. A replica of the cross of nails was also presented to the Chapel of Reconciliation (''Kapelle der Versöhnung''), which forms part of the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

Memorial. A medieval cross of nails has also been carried on board all British warships that have subsequently borne the name . The cross of nails was on board the

Type 42 destroyer The Type 42 or ''Sheffield'' class was a class of fourteen guided-missile destroyers that served in the Royal Navy.Marriott, Leo: ''Royal Navy Destroyers since 1945'', , Ian Allan Ltd, 1989 A further two ships of this class were built for and ...

when she was sunk by enemy action in the

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

. The cross was salvaged by

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

divers, and presented to Coventry Cathedral by the ship's Captain and colleagues. The cross was subsequently presented first to the next in 1988 until she was decommissioned in 2002, and then to , which is affiliated to Coventry, during her commissioning ceremony on 6 May 2011 by Captain David Hart-Dyke, the commanding officer of ''Coventry'' when she was sunk.

The ''Stalingrad Madonna''

A copy of the ''

Stalingrad Madonna The ''Stalingrad Madonna'' () is an image of the Virgin Mary drawn by a German soldier, Kurt Reuber (1906–1944), in 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad. The original is displayed in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin, while copies no ...

'' by Kurt Reuber that was drawn in 1942 in

Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

(now

Volgograd Volgograd,. formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area of , with a population ...

) is shown in the cathedrals of all three cities (Berlin, Coventry and Volgograd) as a sign of the reconciliation of the three countries that were once enemies.

The statue of ''Reconciliation''

In 1994 the cathedral received a copy of the statue ''

Reconciliation Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to: Accounting * Reconciliation (accounting) Arts, entertainment, and media Books * Reconciliation (Under the North Star), ''Reconciliation'' (''Under the North Star''), the third volume of the ''Under the ...

'', by Josefina de Vasconcellos. Originally created in 1977 and entitled ''Reunion'', it had been presented to the

University of Bradford The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...

's Peace Studies department. After repairs and renaming, a bronze cast of the statue was presented to the cathedral in 1995, to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Similar copies are held at the Hiroshima Peace Park in Japan, at the

Stormont Estate The Stormont Estate is an Estate (land), estate in the east of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It is the site of Northern Ireland's main Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland), Parliament Buildings, which is surrounded by woods and parkland, and is ...

in Northern Ireland, and at the Chapel of Reconciliation in Berlin. The

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

broadcast a documentary in 1962 entitled ''Act of Faith'', narrated by

Leo Genn Leopold John Genn ( ; 9 August 1905 – 26 January 1978) was an English actor and barrister. Distinguished by his relaxed charm and smooth, "black velvet" voice, he had a lengthy career in theatre, film, television and radio, often playing a ...

, detailing the history of Coventry Cathedral, its destruction and rebuilding.

Music

The

precentor A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is ''præcentor'', from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first ...

of the new Coventry Cathedral at the opening service was Joseph Poole. The service was televised and watched by many.

Organ

The cathedral has a

pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...

Harrison & Harrison Harrison & Harrison Ltd is a British company based in Durham that makes and restores pipe organs. It was established in Rochdale in 1861. It is well known for its work on instruments such as King's College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, and t ...

dating from 1962, which is recognised as one of the finest in the UK. A specification of the organ can be found on th
National Pipe Organ Register

Directors of music

Assistant organists

* Allan Hawthorne-Baker 1934–1939 * Michael Burnett * Robert George Weddle 1964–1972 (then organist) * J. Richard Lowry 1972–1976 * Ian Little 1976–1977 (then organist) * Paul Leddington Wright 1977–84 (then organist) * Timothy Hone (1984–87) * Chris Argent (1987–1990) * David Poulter 1990–1995 (then director of music) * Daniel Moult 1995–2002 * Martyn Lane * Alistair Reid 2004–2011 * Laurence Lyndon-Jones 2011–2013 * Rachel Mahon 2018–2020 * Luke Fitzgerald 2021–2025

Dean and chapter

As of June 2024: *

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

: John Witcombe (since 19 January 2013) * Andrew Walster (Senior Non-Executive Member) * Bishop of Warwick * Canon for Art and Reconciliation: Mary Gregory * Canon for Worship and Welcome: Nitano Muller * Chris Cliffe * David Johnston * Graham Warren * Martin Williams * Richard Sapcote * Robin Thomas

Burials

* Gerard la Pucelle,

(1183–1184) *

(1918–1922): a bronze effigy of him, commissioned by

Hamo Thornycroft Sir William Hamo Thornycroft (9 March 185018 December 1925) was an English sculptor, responsible for some of London's best-known statues, including the controversial statue of Oliver Cromwell outside the Palace of Westminster. He was a keen stu ...

, was the only artefact to survive the bombing of the old Coventry Cathedral in 1940

Gallery

File:Anon - St Michael’s in Coventry.jpg, ''St Michael's in Coventry'' (Anon, ) File:David Gee - Interior of St Michael's Church, Coventry.jpg, Interior of St Michael's Church by David Gee, 1862 File:Winston Churchill at Coventry Cathedral cph.3a18421.jpg,

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

visiting the ruins of the old cathedral in 1941 File:Ruins of the Old Cathedral -Coventry-5July2008.jpg, The surviving tower and steeple, which functions as a working bell tower File:Bishop Huyshe Wolcott Yeatman-Biggs full.jpg, Effigy and tomb of

, first Bishop of Coventry File:Reconciliation by Vasconcellos, Coventry.jpg, Josefina de Vasconcellos' 1977 statue ''

'' in the old cathedral's nave File:Coventry Cathedral Baptistry window.jpg, The baptistry window by John Piper from inside the cathedral. File:Coventry Cathedral West Window 2019.jpg, Great West Window File:Coventry Cathedral font.jpg, The font, a boulder from

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

File:New coventry cathedral spire 14d06.jpg, The top of spire of the new cathedral File:Coventry Cathedral -interior2.jpg, Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane, mosaic by Steven Sykes File:Coventry Cathedral Cuthbert Bardsley Memorial (2377707511).jpg, Bishop Cuthbert Bardsley Memorial

References

External links

Coventry Cathedral official website

Further reading about Coventry's three Cathedrals

Virtual tour of both the new cathedral and the ruins
*
Flickr images tagged Coventry Cathedral
*

"Like a Phoenix from the Ashes: The Medieval Stained Glass of Coventry Cathedral"
— ''Vidimus'' article about the cathedral's medieval stained glass {{Authority control

Coventry Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael, commonly known as Coventry Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry within the Church of England. The cathedral is located in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midla ...

Basil Spence buildings British churches bombed by the Luftwaffe Buildings and structures in Coventry Buildings and structures in the United Kingdom destroyed during World War II Buildings and structures in the West Midlands (county) Churches completed in 1962 Churches in Coventry Demolished buildings and structures in the West Midlands (county) Diocese of Coventry Grade I listed cathedrals Grade I listed churches in the West Midlands (county) Ruins of churches destroyed during World War II Ruins in the West Midlands (county) Tourist attractions in Coventry 20th-century church buildings in England