YOU can join us to celebrate the centenary of our diocese and of our cathedral in a series of exciting events and activities next year.

We aim to look back at the faithful worshippers who have shaped our diocese and cathedral in the past; to celebrate how God is working across our diocese in the present; and to launch activities that leave a legacy for the future.

Among the celebrations will be special services, exhibitions, displays and mission events. You may want to ensure that these dates are in your parish’s calendars for next year, to ensure that you don’t miss out.

The Spring 2027 edition of our @CofEPortsmouth magazine will be a special commemorative brochure, detailing the history of our diocese and cathedral, and telling stories of the past 100 years. We’ll also look back with an exhibition within our cathedral, which will include artefacts from the past, including the pectoral cross belonging to our first bishop - Bishop Neville Lovett - and copies of some of his sermons.

We have been focussing on the present day by taking photos of100 current worshippers from our churches and cathedral. Our ‘100 Faces’ project is designed to be a snapshot of just who is part of our diocese in 2027.

Our models have been nominated by those in our parishes and our cathedral, and include those who have been worshippers for many years, those with interesting stories of faith to tell, and those who have recently embraced Christianity.

Those 100 photos should fill the nave of our cathedral from April 4-24 next year, alongside moving stories about their faith. Those photos, stories and some videos of these amazing people will also be shared on our website and social media every few days during 2027.

We’re delighted that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Sarah Mullally, will be joining us on Saturday 1st May to mark precisely 100 years since the Diocese of Portsmouth was formed - on May 1, 1927.

Archbishop Sarah will help lead a service in our cathedral, which will allow us to thank God for the past 100 years, with invited guests from our history, civic dignitaries, and representatives from our parishes and church schools.

Because we can only fit so many people within our cathedral, we also want to hold an outdoor celebration to which everyone across the diocese can be invited.

We’re hoping thousands of you will join Bishop Jonathan for this special outdoor service from 11am on Sunday 18 July, on Governors’ Green in Old Portsmouth. It will be a colourful, lively celebration of everything that God has done and is doing within his Church in this diocese, and suitable for all the family. We would be delighted if parishes cancelled their main morning service that day, so we would all be available to celebrate together.

And in October, we’ll be marking precisely 100 years since our cathedral was hallowed, on October 4, 1927 - ahead of the enthronement of Neville Lovett as the very first Bishop of Portsmouth two days later. This special Evensong on Monday 4th October will use some of the liturgy from the 1927 service.