Bishop Guli to give the sermon at our 370th Festival Service

We look forward to welcoming The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani to our 2025 Festival Service, and to hearing her sermon on this historic occasion.

The Festival Service, celebrating its 370th year in 2025, brings three world-class cathedral choirs together to perform as one, under the majestic dome of St Paul's Cathedral.

Last year, we welcomed St Paul's, Durham and Rochester Cathedral Choirs, who marked 90 years since the death of renowned composer, Edward Elgar, as well as the 110th anniversary of ‘Give unto the Lord’, which he composed especially for our Festival Service in 1914. The Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, The Most Revd Andrew John gave the sermon.

The Bishop of Chelmsford, standing in front of a lit candle, wearing a clerical collar.

Bishop Guli

Bishop Guli previously led the training of curates in the Diocese of Peterborough, overseeing and supporting the vocations of those called to lay and ordained ministries.

She later served as the first Bishop of Loughborough in the Diocese of Leicester, and is now Chair of the Board of the Church Army.

"I am grateful and honoured to have been invited to preach at the Festival Service at St Paul's Cathedral."
"At a time when the cost of living and pressures on wellbeing are particularly challenging, the Trust's work and the support they provide remains vital and is appreciated by many clergy families."
"I know that a particular highlight of the service is the joint singing of the three cathedral choirs, which I am very much looking forward to."

The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford

"Clergy Support Trust continues to receive more grant applications from clergy and their families in need than ever before. Our annual Festival is an opportunity to bring friends and supporters, old and new, together under one roof to celebrate what we've achieved in the past year, and to reflect on how far we have yet to go."
"As Bishop of one of the largest dioceses in the Church of England, Bishop Guli has been a strong advocate for clergy wellbeing, and a great supporter of the Trust. I look forward to her sermon, and it will be wonderful to welcome her to St Paul's Cathedral in May."

The Revd Ben Cahill-Nicholls
Chief Executive, Clergy Support Trust

Join the Festival

The Festival Service is free to attend, and will take place at St Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday 13 May 2025, 5pm.

We welcome over 1,000 guests to the Festival each year - so there's plenty of room for everyone! However, while there may be tickets available on the day, we recommend that you book ahead in advance to avoid disappointment.

Tickets will be released in January 2025. If you want to be among the first to know when tickets are available, you can register your interest through the link below.

Register your interest

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Photo credit: Diocese of Chelmsford.

Clergy Support Trust is the largest and oldest charity focussed on the wellbeing of clergy and their families.

The Trust, originally founded in 1655, provides confidential help for Anglican clergy and their families across the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man, and Diocese in Europe. The Trust are independent, inclusive, and impartial, and we support clergy from training through to retirement.

In 2023, we provided over 6,800 grants, supporting clergy households in the Church of England with over £5.5m in grants, Church in Wales with £172,000, Church of Ireland with £141,000 and the Scottish Episcopal Church with £36,000.