Opening the Fleury Building
Categories: News
Fifth of March sees a first for Winchester Cathedral for five hundred years
- Opening of the Fleury Building.
- Installation of the Abbot of Fleury as an Honorary Canon
On 5th March at 3.30pm, Winchester Cathedral will open the first permanent newly-built addition in five hundred years, when the Dean of Winchester will invite the Abbot of Fleury, its linked monastery, to open the Fleury Building, a purpose-built extension to the Cathedral. At a service shortly afterwards (5.30pm), the Abbot of Fleury, from L’Abbaye de St-Benôit-sur-Loire in France, will be installed as an Honorary Ecumenical Canon of the Cathedral.
The new building will provide storage which will free up the North Transept – one of its unspoilt Norman areas which dates from the construction of the current Cathedral and was commenced in 1079. It also houses a new boiler and heating system and much-needed toilets within the Cathedral itself.
Mostly funded by the Friends of the Cathedral who celebrate their 80th Anniversary this year, the concept of the Fleury Building came into being some years ago; the foundations were laid almost a year ago after considerable archaeological study.
It is testament to the work and dedication of many people: amongst them the stonemasons who work tirelessly to maintain and adorn the beauty of this ancient building and the Friends of the Cathedral who contribute a great deal to the Cathedral’s life. It is also the last major work masterminded by Peter Bird, Cathedral Architect, who sadly passed away as it was in completion.
“A new building attached to the Cathedral is much more than a very useful and practical extension, it is evidence of the continuing growth and life of the Cathedral and its Community”, says The Very Revd James Atwell, who is Dean of Winchester. “Over the centuries the building and its community have adapted to the needs of a new generation and this continues in the present day. We are very grateful to the Friends whose generosity has made this development possible.”
The Installation of Abbot Etienne is another milestone in the Cathedral’s history and indicative of its vibrancy in the church today. Until recently Honorary Canons were drawn only from the Anglican Diocese of Winchester. The Abbot is the first of its Ecumenical Canons who bring its ministry closer to the work of the wider church locally, nationally and now internationally. Other Ecumenical Canons will be installed in the coming months.
The Cathedral’s origins are as a Benedictine monastery – Benedict being recognised as the father of Western monasticism – and although the Cathedral is no longer run by monks, Benedict’s values are at the heart of its ethos. The strength of the links between Fleury and Winchester are evident as the Cathedral and the Abbey pray for each other every day as part of the more recent rejuvenation of a relationship which stretches back a millennium. There are also regular exchanges between the two communities – including three trips by the Cathedral choir. It is therefore wholly right that the first of these Honorary Canons should be linked to its earliest origins.
Dean James continues on the events of a very special day, “This is a moment of history. It is very exciting for us that the Abbot of Fleury will be our first Ecumenical Canon. Following on from the Pope’s visit nationally, it is evidence of the respect with which we hold one another and the acknowledgement of our shared journey of faith.”