Bishop Graham started this month with the Royal Maundy service in St Asaph, north Wales, in his position as Lord High Almoner. 77 women and 77 men were given Maundy money by the King, the number representing King Charles’s age, and Bishop Graham learnt a few words of Welsh to speak the opening sentences “Yr wyf yn rhoi i chwi orchymyn newydd, carwch eich gilydd. Fel y cerais i chwi, felly yr ydych chwithau i gari’ch gilydd” (I give to you a new commandment, Love one another. As I have loved you, so you are to love one another). After the service Bishop Graham spoke to Songs of Praise presented Aled Jones, as part of a programme about the service broadcast on Songs of Praise, which can be watched on iPlayer.
Then, on Easter Saturday, 7 people were baptised and 38 confirmed at Norwich Cathedral, sharing incredible stories of following Jesus during a service which moved from the darkness of the vigil to the glorious light and music of Resurrection.
Of course, this was followed by Easter Sunday, which Bishop Graham welcomed with immense gratitude to everyone across the Diocese of Norwich who contributed to the liturgy, music, decoration and welcome of churches during Holy Week and Easter. He also reminded us, in his Easter message, that Easter is time of hope, not fear.
Church visits during Eastertide included a service at Gresham’s School in Holt where 10 people were baptised and 31 were confirmed, Sunday worship at St Mary Magdalene Mulbarton at the start of their vacancy, and going to St Mark’s Lakenham to confirm a candidate and celebrate their patronal festival.
Bishop Graham had the great joy of presenting the congregation of St Mark’s Oulton Broad with the first A Rocha gold Eco Church award in the Diocese of Norwich, while attending their community green day involving lots of local eco charities – and some friendly alpacas! This award reflects their commitment to walk in step with nature and put creation care at the heart of what they do.
He also visited the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s new urban nature reserve at Sweet Briars Marshes, seeing the work that has been completed there with CEO Eliot Lyne. Other enjoyable visits included the Bishop Lancelot Andrewes Feast at Pembroke College, Cambridge – Bishop Andrewes being a previous Lord High Almoner – and dinner with the Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Bishop Graham welcomed The Revd Alan Bartlett, from the Diocese of Durham, to Norwich Cathedral for a study morning for licensed clergy exploring wellbeing and good habits for ministry. At the end of the month he travelled to York for the consecration of the new Bishop of Durham, The Rt Revd Rick Simpson, a long-standing friend.
April was also the month in which Bishop Graham was elected the President of the 2026 Royal Norfolk Show, with his theme being “thriving rural communities” and his charity focus being Norfolk’s incredible homelessness charities. Bishop Graham said “It was a great surprise to be asked to be this year’s President of the Royal Norfolk Show. It is a huge honour and I hope that I can fulfil the role to the very best of my ability.”
