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| Bishop of Leicester Tim Stevens with Max Harlow, 10, Maya Topping, 5, Jack Chapman, 5, & Lauren Henry, 11 |
Pupils' ideas turned into prayer trail
A sculpture prayer trail inspired by pupils has been created at a primary school.
The art was unveiled at Gilmorton Chandler CofE School in a ceremony attended by Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, and diocesan director of education, Canon Mary Lawson.
It features seven artworks based on a verse from Galatians interpreting goodness and gentleness, joy, love, patience and faithfulness, kindness and self-control.
There is also a pebble cross where children leaving the school will each place a stone.
Children came up with ideas for the trail, which were realised by Ruth Cutler, Dean Williams, Ian Tuck, Andy Moyes, Liam Hadjipetrou, John Tozer and Kerr Doig.
Head teacher Marie Sandford said: "We encourage all children to become independent, creative learners who also respect and care for others and for the environment."
Team vicar the Rev Emma Davies said: 'This project has been a wonderful way of helping the children think about some core Christian values."
Service marks 40 years since Ugandan exodus
by David W Owen
Leicester Cathedral was the venue for a service commemorating the 40th anniversary of Asians ordered out of Idi Amin’s Ugandan dictatorship finding a new home in the city.
Saturday's thanksgiving service was led by the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, with Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles special guest of honour.
More than 28,000 people arrived in Britain from Uganda in 1972, with7,000 choosing to settle in Leicester despite an advertising campaign warning them not to come to the city.
The service, however, celebrated their positive contribution to the city – in the fields of business, the professions, politics, arts and science.
Bishop Tim said: “It was a great pleasure that Leicester Cathedral was chosen as the venue to give thanks for the contribution of the Ugandan Asian community.
“The service recognised the importance of friendship and generosity, as shown both by those who came to our city 40 years ago under such desperate circumstances, and those who welcomed them to a strange land and opened their homes and hearts, in the best tradition of the faiths of this city.”
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| The commissioning of a new Anglican church in Belgrave, which worships in a range of languages, in 2012, has boosted numbers |
Church sees large rise in worshippers
by Tim Healy
Nearly 2,000 people have joined Church of England congregations across Leicestershire, a survey has revealed.
Many parishes are reporting that numbers attending services are on the increase following years of decline.
The figures for 2012 have just been published by the Diocese of Leicester, from responses sent in by more than 300 churches.
It means that across the diocese, more than 22,000 people are now regular members of an Anglican worshipping community.
The Bishop of Leicester the Rt Rev Tim Stevens said: "These figures reveal that in times of austerity people are looking for deeper satisfaction and meaning in their lives.
"Churches that are welcoming, responsive and prayerful increasingly meet that need."
The survey detailed many reasons people were prompted to find out more about the Christian faith, with a newer form of all-age, more creative church entitled Messy Church being one of the most popular.
A new multilingual congregation in All Saints, Belgrave was set up last year.
A parish spokesman said: "We have managed to reach out, resulting in 16 people being baptised, including those of other faith backgrounds."
Other churches have been involved in projects to feed those in need.
In Ashby, the CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Midlands National Forest Centre has continued to provide debt counselling and advice to an increasing number of clients.
The Rev Barry Hill, who is responsible for mission in the diocese, said: "This report brings much good news, not least that more than 22,000 Christians of all ages are showing they live, work, study, play and socialise together and that God makes a difference in their lives, in that there is much more with Jesus than without.
"The most reassuring trend is that the increase is a small and steady trend across a large number of churches, so is likely to be sustainable."
About 12,500 people attend worship on an average Sunday, and a further 3,000 on weekdays.
The number of people who attended Anglican services at Christmas 2012 was 36,800 – the highest number since 2008.
Details from the parish showed the majority of churches surveyed, 215, had Sunday congregations of fewer than 50.
There were 40 congregations of between 51 and 100, 16 between 101 and 150, nine of 151 to 250 and two of more than 250.
However, the parish returns show the average age of a worshipper remains about 14 years older than the population as a whole. This is illustrated by 465 members of churches dying in the past year.
The research, conducted annually, is available in full on the Diocese of Leicester website: www.leicester.anglican.org
Archbishop and Imam issue appeal for unity
by Dan Martin
The Archbishop of Canterbury today stressed the need for unity among Leicester’s religious communities in the aftermath of the brutal killing of a soldier in a suspected terrorist attack.
The Most Rev Justin Welby, the Church of England’s most senior clergyman, said the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich by two apparent Muslim extremists had “no place in Islam.”
The archbishop spoke about the young soldier’s murder outside the Masjid Umar mosque, in Evington, after rearranging his schedule in a visit to Leicester, planned before Wednesday’s horrific events.He met officials from the mosque, along with the bishops of Woolwich, Bradford and Pontefract as well as Bishop of Leicester Tim Stevens.
he archbishop stood side-by-side with assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain Ibrahim Mogra to address reporters follwing events in the capital.
The archbishop said: “We have all been horrified by the brutal murder of drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich and all of our prayers are with his family, colleagues and comrades, all those who witnessed this crime and members of the community who have been affected by it.
“I want to recognise the response of churches, mosques and other faith and civil society groups, as well as those brave individuals who have done so much to bring our communities together at this time.”
The archbishop, who later signed a book of condolence opened for the murdered 25-year-old at Leicester Cathedral, added: “The strong response from the Muslim Council of Britain and many other organisations have rightly emphasised that these acts have no place in Islam.”
He added: “I think Leicester is a shining example of how communities work together. I am confident because of the very good work Ibrahim (Mogra) has been doing, and we are all doing, that we are in a good position.”
Mr Mogra said: “Muslim communities in Britain are shocked and appalled by the horrific murder in Woolwich.
“The murderers chanted slogans during their heinous crime claiming to do it in God’s name.
“Far from it.
“This is a betrayal of Islam.
“This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn it utterly and unreservedly.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Lee Rigby’s family and friends and especially his two-year-old son.
“Drummer Rigby was a serving member of the armed forces.
“Muslims have long served in this country’s armed forces proudly and with honour.
“This attack on a member of the armed forces is dishonourable and no cause can justify this murder.
“This crime has heightened tensions across the country. The MCB calls on all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim to come together in solidarity to ensure the forces of hatred do not prevail.
“I am immensely grateful for the leadership of our archbishop during this most difficult time and thank leaders of all our faith communities for your support.
“Your local Muslim communities will welcome your support and I encourage you to knock at the doors of every mosque and offer you neighbourly love.
He added: “There is concern about safety in large sections of Muslim communities who live in mixed areas.
“We hope that the police will ensure law and order is maintained.
“We say to the Muslim community: “Let us continue with our lives as normal.
“If we begin to cower and hide ourselves away then we allow the terrorists win. Life must go on.”
Bishop Tim said: “I hope what is clear is that this terrible incident, from driving a wedge between us will bring us closer together.”
Hundreds of worshippers gathered at the mosque for Friday payers and heard Imam Muhammad Sindhi condemn Wednesday’s tragedy.
He said: “Don’t be extremists. In Islam there is no space for terror or terrorism.
“Islam doesn’t teach, in broad daylight, to go out into the streets of London wielding a butcher’s cleaver and hack someone to death.
“This Stone Age savagery is not the message of Islam.”
The Bishop of Leicester, Rt Rev Tim Stevens, has called on communities to remain calm following the horrific murder in Woolwich, London on Wednesday afternoon.
The Bishop said, "I am deeply distressed by reports of this barbaric attack which took place in front of passers-by in a street in South London. It has been confirmed that the victim was a serving soldier and the Prime Minister has said that there were "strong indications that it is a terrorist attack". The police now need to be allowed to do their job and ascertain the facts behind what took place.
"Individuals who commit such crimes in the name of religion or politics stand at odds with the compassionate shared values which we stand for as a society. Such acts aim to divide our communities and I call upon everyone to remain calm and united. At this deeply tragic time, my prayers and thoughts are for the victim and those who knew him, but also those many ordinary people traumatised by this shocking and wholly unjustified event".
Setting the record straight on funds for church garden
RJ Bingham ("Why not everything in these gardens is lovely", Mailbox, May 20) is concerned about the Diocese of Leicester's plans for funding Cathedral Gardens.
He wittily suggests that as the wall obstructing views in and out of the Guildhall is currently being reduced, so we also remove the "wall of silence" from the diocese on the whole topic, although the rest of his/her letter seems to contain remarkably few actual questions on which we could be accused of being silent.
What it does contain is a number of inaccurate statements, which I'm glad of the chance to respond to.
Firstly it speaks of the diocese "accepting a £1.9 million grant from the city".
I'm not sure where these figures are supposed to have come from but the fact is that no such "grant" exists.
What is proposed is that the city will undertake work to the adjacent highways that it is responsible for, which is likely to amount to about £1.5 million.
The city's capital programme is there for public works and this is an excellent example of such works that will bring benefit to the whole city and its many and increasing number of visitors – which will, of course, itself bring benefits to the local economy.
The cathedral is looking to raise the balance of the funds needed from grants and benefactors – a significant amount of which has already been pledged.
Then the suggestion is made that by entering into constructive partnership with the city authorities in one area, the Church somehow forgoes the right to be critical of any other aspects of their work.
The truth is that, as a Church, we are always ready both to support those in need – as witness the considerable work already carried out both from St Martin's House and parishes up and down the city and county.
We are also always ready to speak up where there is a proper case to be made. Bishop Tim has been foremost among those challenging the Government cuts which are themselves the background to the changes the city has been forced into in its support for homeless people.
Finally, that old cliché about "the Church's millions" is rolled out.Yes, the diocese has capital assets – though considerably less than many local individuals, for example.
These are held in trust for a wide range of work, mainly for the support of parishes, and are fully put to use for that purpose.
The cathedral, unlike more ancient foundations, has very meagre endowment funds and it's just not true to say it can lay out large sums on a whim.
What it can do – and is doing under the leadership of David Monteith, its new Dean – is offer a generous welcome in God's name to all the people who live in or visit our city and provide a healthy challenge to the dominant story of our age, that money is all and the things of the spirit are of no significance.
We have a story that began in one garden in Eden, passes through another in Gethsemane and ends in a heaven often portrayed as a garden of paradise. It's no surprise we'd like to welcome as many as possible through our own gardens in the years to come – and will gladly partner with whoever shares our vision for the healing of humanity.
Pete Hobson, acting Canon Missioner, Leicester Cathedral
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| Sheikh Ibrahim Moghra |
Leicester's Muslim Leaders condemn Woolwich soldier killing
by Dan Martin
Muslim leaders in Leicester have condemned the murder of a soldier in London yesterday in a suspected terrorist attack.
The serviceman was killed in the street near army barracks in Woolwich yesterday afternoon.
Shocked passers-by then took video footage of the two suspected culprits - one of whom said the victim had been attacked because British troops had killed Muslims everyday.
Witnesses reported the soldier was hacked to death after being run over. The suspected attackers were then shot and injured by police before being taken to hospital.
Today religious leaders in Leicester stressed the incident was in no way representative of Muslims here.
Ibrahim Mogra, imam at three city mosques and the assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain said: “We are shocked at this killing as is every decent human being. It was an appalling killing on our streets in broad daylight.
“One of the culprits claims to have done it in the name of God and Islam. Absolutely not. How dare he use the name of God to try to justify this terrible act. There is nothing in Islam that justifies vigilantism.”
Mr Mogra urged people to remain calm in the aftermath of the killing.He said: “We must allow the authorities to carry out their investigation.
“We should be vigilant against those who would use this awful act to try to divide the community. We cannot allow hate-filled people from any side to drive a wedge between us.
“It must be clear that the vast majority of Muslims stand side by side with all other communities in condemning this brutal killing.”
THe Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO) has also condemned the killing in “the strongest terms possible.”
Leicester-based FMO spokesman Suleman Nagdi said "This is a most truly appalling crime.
“Reports about the graphic nature of the incident with the use of a machete to commit murder in full public view, makes this case even more reprehensible. As the situation unfolds, our thoughts are with the family of the victim.
Mr Nagdi added: “The FMO condemns violence for whichever cause in all its hideous guises and it is our sincere hope that the perpetrators of this horrendous crime are brought to justice.
“Muslims historically through the first and second World Wars have contributed greatly to the defence of our country.
“I appeal for all communities to remain calm in the face of this attack and not to allow this evil crime to divide communities in our country.”
The Bishop of Leicester, Rt Rev Tim Stevens, has also called on communities to remain calm following the murder.
He said: “I am deeply distressed by reports of this barbaric attack which took place in front of passers-by in a street in South London.
“It has been confirmed that the victim was a serving soldier and the Prime Minister has said that there were "strong indications that it is a terrorist attack".
“The police now need to be allowed to do their job and ascertain the facts behind what took place.
“Individuals who commit such crimes in the name of religion or politics stand at odds with the compassionate shared values which we stand for as a society.
“Such acts aim to divide our communities and I call upon everyone to remain calm and united.
“At this deeply tragic time, my prayers and thoughts are for the victim and those who knew him, but also those many ordinary people traumatised by this shocking and wholly unjustified event.”
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| The Very Reverend David Monteith has been installed as the new Dean of Leicester |
New Dean welcomed at "a time of great change"
The Very Reverend David Monteith has been installed as the new Dean of Leicester.
The Very Rev Monteith officially began his new post after a service at Leicester Cathedral on Saturday.
The new Dean, taking over from Vivienne Faull, who last year moved to be Dean of York, has been at the cathedral four years having previously been the canon chancellor with responsibility for pastoral and educational life.
In his sermon to the congregation, the Very Rev Monteith said: "Cathedrals are called to embrace the interface between the spiritual and the secular.
"This Cathedral is invited to create the kind of space which frees up others to explore this spirituality in countless languages, metaphors, images, experiences and church traditions."
During the service the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens welcomed the new Dean.
He said: "Few Deans have been installed at a time of such great change in their Cathedral. We have discerned in you the gifts and qualities this challenge require. May God bless you."
The service included music sung in Irish reflecting the Dean's native origins.
A piece written by Dr Chris Johns, director of music at the cathedral was premiered.
It uses a poem by Robert Herryck who is commemorated in the cathedral and whose family home was on the site of the Greyfriars Friary where Richard III was buried.
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| Councillor Rory Palmer, Deputy City Mayor & Chair of Leicester Child Poverty Commission |
Commission draws up measures in a bid to tackle child poverty
About 160 politicians, business leaders and charity bosses met yesterday to discuss ways of tackling child poverty in LeicesterThe Leicester Child Poverty Commission held its second annual conference at St Martin's House, near the cathedral.
According to Government figures, 30,000 children in the city are classed as living in poverty and the commission has drawn up 66 measures it hopes will help struggling families.
Commission chairman and deputy mayor of Leicester, councillor Rory Palmer, said: "We have made some important progress but a lot has happened in the past 12 months.
"The impact of the Government's welfare reforms is now being felt by some of the less well-off people in society. The employment situation remains challenging.
"However, we have made some important progress by implementing some of the measures set out."
Coun Palmer said the council had agreed to give its lowest paid staff the so-called Living Wage of £7.45 an hour for adults, rather than the minimum legal rate of £6.19.
He also said the council was getting on with signing up all nursery-aged children as library members to boost their educational chances, promoting credit unions over loan sharks or payday lenders and helping to co-ordinate the city's 15 food banks.
Coun Palmer added: "We are not complacent. We know there is a lot of very hard work still to do and things are going to remain difficult before they get better.
"There are a huge number of people who are hovering just above the poverty line as well."
The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, Catherine Stretton, head teacher of Marriott Primary School on the Saffron Lane estate, and Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth were among the speakers.
Coun Palmer said he would speak to his colleagues about whether to hold a third conference next year.
Since last year's conference the Leicester Child Poverty Commission has published 66 recommendations, a number of which have been implemented. Significant work is taking place across the public, private and voluntary sectors to make progress in implementing all of the recommendations. The Commission has continued work with partners to raise awareness of child poverty in the city, to develop new thinking on how to address this challenge and how to monitor the impact of public spending cuts, welfare changes and falling household budgets. Amongst other activities the Commission make a formal response to the Government's consultation on how child poverty should be measured, we held a meeting with businesses and employers to talk about the economic impact of pverty and thge role of the private sector in tackling poverty, and we have worked to ensure child poverty is an issue discussed by other key organisations like the new Health & Wellbeing Board.
More than one million more children will fall into poverty in the UK by the end of the decade, new research has predicted.
The assessment by the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the projected increase from 2010/11 to 2020/21 will reverse the reductions in child poverty rates witnessed in the previous decade.
The King of Kings and the king under the car park
It may be that the Easter story takes on a special significance for us in Leicester this year. In the story, Jesus is laid in a tomb and three days later those who were closest to him discovered the body missing. The tomb could not contain Jesus. His presence, his spirit and his very life continued to make itself felt and, 2,000 years later, Christians feel and experience that life and seek to share it with others.
Unexpectedly, this year the story of our city seems to be almost intertwined with the story of a body and with a debate about the kind of tomb he should be laid in.
This newspaper has reflected that debate and shown us how deeply felt are the views people hold about where Richard III should lie and how his grave should be marked.
Rationally speaking, these are simply the last fragmentary remains of an individual whom none of us knew and whose story belongs to the remote past. Why then such passion, indignation and desire to signify his life and his death in a particular way?
Presumably, because in some way the spirit of Richard III lives on. In some way his short life is not extinguished by his death. In some way his life and his story have meaning beyond the grave.
If that is true for Richard III, Christians believe it is true for every human being. Our life is not defined and contained simply by the short span of time on this Earth.
Through the Easter story, we are given a picture of the highest possible degree of human living as seen in Jesus Christ. In him, the gap between what it is to be human and what it is to be divine was bridged. The love of God shone through him undimmed and undistorted.
The extraordinary conviction of the first followers who found the tomb empty was that a life lived so close to the love of God could not be extinguished by death. Further, they came to believe if this was true for Jesus Christ it is true potentially for every one of us who seek to live the loving life he led.
I welcome the debate about Richard III and his final resting place. It is a reminder to us all of the ultimate significance and dignity of every human life, including those who are not kings or whose names do not appear in the newspapers.
If Easter is true it is true for every one of us. Our life extends beyond the grave into an eternal life with God.
When Richard III is reinterred in Leicester Cathedral, that truth will be affirmed and celebrated as the truth about King Richard and as the truth about us all.
A very happy Easter to you all.
By the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester
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| Detective Superintendent David Sandall at the podium |
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| Neil Chakroborti at the podium |
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| Chino Cabon at the podium |
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| Luman Ali at the podium |
"Feed the world" plea to governments
A group of charities has launched a campaign calling for governments to help hungry people in poor countries.
The Enough Food for Everyone If campaign, being run by Christian Aid, Oxfam and Tearfund, was launched at Leicester Cathedral yesterday.
Dozens of people, including Bishop of Leicester the Rt Rev Tim Stevens and assistant city mayor Manjula Sood, attended.
The campaign is based around four "ifs'' it wants members of the world's richest eight countries to agree to when they meet in Northern Ireland in June.
The four "ifs'' involve cracking down on legal loopholes which let multi-national companies operate in developing countries without paying fair taxes, ensuring land is used for food instead of biofuels, having more transparency over business deals in poor countries and pressuring the UK and other governments into sticking to their pledges about combating world hunger.
Judi Perry, of Christian Aid, said: "The campaign is about bringing an end to hunger.
"We produce enough food for everyone and yet one in eight people go to bed hungry each day.
"The G8 leaders are coming to Northern Ireland this year and we want people to bring their voices together to demand more openness and fairness in dealing with poor countries."
The campaign will involve lobbying members of Parliament, a march in London and a demonstration in Northern Ireland in June.
Faith leaders and agencies in bid to tackle world poverty
Faith leaders, charity workers and councillors gathered in the city to urge the Government to tackle hunger and poverty.
Assistant city mayor Manjula Sood joined the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, and representatives from Oxfam, Save the Children and Christian Aid at the cathedral this week to help launch Enough Food for Everyone – a campaign by Christian Aid.
The national campaign is asking the Prime Minister to tackle four problems to ensure there is enough food for everyone – stop poor farmers being forced off their land and use the available agricultural land to grow food for people, make governments keep their promises on aid, close loopholes to stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries and force governments and investors to be honest and open about the deals they make in the poorest countries.
Councillor Sood said: "The campaign will highlight the plight of many who still struggle to have one decent meal a day."
The bishop said: "I am delighted the churches and faith communities are coming together to support this campaign, which draws attention internationally to one of the great issues of justice in our day."
Cathedral gardens revamp criticised by heritage group
English Heritage has raised concerns about £3 million plans to revamp the area outside Leicester Cathedral.
The heritage watchdog says it is unhappy with elements of the Cathedral Gardens project and has joined the Leicester Civic Society in voicing misgivings about the scheme.
Church leaders say they want to create a worthy setting for the 12th-century building, in St Martin's, and an attractive public space.
However, English Heritage has looked at details of the scheme and, though it supports the principle, it says it cannot support it in its current form.
In a letter to Leicester City Council planning officers, its historic building adviser, Helen Ensor, said: "Overall, we see the potential for intervention into this now tired-looking space and the opportunity to create a fitting and functional new forecourt to the cathedral.
"However, we cannot fully support the scheme at this stage and would welcome the opportunity to advise further.
English Heritage opposes the removal of listed railings along the boundary of St Martin's House and St Martin's Lane West as well as the use of Roman-style paving stones.
It has also objected to the removal of headstones.
Ms Ensor said: "Not only are they fine and interesting sculptural elements which point to the cathedral's past as a medieval parish church, but they also represent the life and death of the people who have worshipped here and must be considered as important to the social history of the church and city."
As previously reported in the Mercury, the civic society opposes plans to reduce the height of a grade II-listed Tudor wall, which dates back to 1519, and was part of the Wyggeston Hospital.
It also objects to the alterations to another grade II-listed wall from 1757 which will be reduced in height from eight feet to 16 inches and have an opening created to allow access to the cathedral visitor centre.
It says these will be a loss of historic fabric that has not been justified.
Civic society chairman Stuart Bailey did, however, say the designs for the area were generally of a high quality.
Nobody from the Diocese of Leicester was available for comment yesterday, but the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, has previously said: "Work has been going on to develop proposals for a new Cathedral Gardens space, uniting the current cathedral precincts and St Martin's House grounds to provide not only a more fitting setting for our cathedral, but also a safe and beautiful garden space at the heart of our city for all its residents and visitors."
Alienating is an inevitable result
The Bishop's spokesman on urban issues, Canon Barry Naylor, really did the Church no favours by claiming that Anglicans "unintentionally" alienated people ("Clarification," Mercury, December 13).
I would have thought it was pretty obvious that it was completely inevitable.
How can a Church that claims to be inclusive and non-discriminatory really not understand how it might offend people when it sends it's own bishop to the House of Lords to condemn gay marriage as unacceptable?
The Anglican Church must decide once and for all whether its God loves homosexuals, or whether it sticks by its God's words in the books of Leviticus and Romans which clearly appear to outlaw homosexual behaviour.
It cannot have it both ways. Society will judge its relevance on this issue alone.
Mark Sperry, Leicester
Twist in reenactment's tale
Next year's powerful reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus in the city centre promises to tell the Easter story in a different way to previous years.
The Christ in the Centre event, held each year on Good Friday, will be given a new twist by children's author Meg Harper.
It will be based on her play, The First Easter, which has been performed in both the UK and US.
She has joined the event's producers and is writing fresh scenes to extend the original script, which will premiere at the event in Easter 2013.
It is also the first year the play will be staged twice in one day.
Rev Stephen Foster, Anglican chaplain to Leicester University, and joint chairman of the event's organising committee, said: "One of the strengths of performing this in the heart of Leicester's shopping area is the opportunity to bring the true Easter message to a much wider audience than we have done before.
"We hope holding the second performance in the afternoon will increase the effectiveness of this outreach."
The event's organisers are also asking anyone who would like to be part of this year's religious reenactment to attend one of the two casting workshops being held in December.
Casting workshops will take place tomorrow and on Saturday, December 8, at St Andrew's Community Hall, in Jarrom Street, Leicester.
Both workshop sessions begin at 11am.
The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, welcomed thousands of people to last year's event, which cost £40,000 to stage.
Hoards of spectators packed out Humberstone Gate and joined in prayer before watching the traditional Bible story unfold – with some audience members being brought to tears by the powerful narrative.
The play's new artistic director, Sarah Chiswell-Hornett, creative projects producer at The Castle Theatre, in Wellingborough, has been tasked with recreating the passionate atmosphere of the event.
She said: "We want the event to be a community-based telling of the Easter story, using a combination of theatre and music, which will bring people together in the heart of Leicester."
The play's writer Meg Harper has previously penned scripts for similar events in Warwick, where her story The Day They Killed The Son of God was performed on Good Friday in 2007.
This year's performance of The First Easter will take place in Humberstone Gate, at 10.30am and 2pm.
Are some more equal, Bishop?
Heaven knows how the Bishop gets so muddled and inconsistent in his thinking! On the one hand, he bemoans the latest "no women bishops" vote in the Synod because he wants the Church to be inclusive.
And yet he's still of a mind to deny homosexuals the right to marry. Let's please remind the Bish that you can't be a little bit in favour of anti-discrimination – you're either for equality or you're not! You can't pick and choose if you want to remain credible.
Mark Sperry, Leicester
