A new pattern of services was introduced to Chapel this academic year. Recognising a need for pupils to spend a little more time with their families, we said goodbye to the expectation that every Sunday in term-time would see a Chapel service. A core of Sunday services throughout the year were now augmented by a series of extended mid-week morning services which marked, for example, Michaelmas, Christ the King and Epiphany. The great benefit of this innovation was the day-pupils were now able to experience full College Chapel services and to listen to the excellent singing of the Chapel Choir.

A new focus this year was the attention the College community gave to the religious lives of pupils beyond the Christian family. In November Samay Mediratta from Fourth Form was interviewed about how he and his family celebrated Diwali. In March, mark Ramadan, Kisu, Ruqayyah and Eniiyi shared with the College community how, as Muslims, they approached the month of fasting prayer.

This year’s winners of the JacksonMatthews Prize for the best Chapel address were Jessica Heynes, who reflected on the virtue of ‘Courage’, and Finn Keatinge who discussed the ethical significance of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Their respective talks are printed here.

One notable Chapel innovation this year was the introduction of ‘Pop and God’. Dr Matthew Harris and myself reflected on how The Byrds popularised the book of Ecclesiastes in ‘Turn Turn Turn’. More of this will follow this coming year.

In May we welcomed the Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Reverend Rachel Treweek, who confirmed 19 pupils into the Church of England. The service had an ecumenical dimension; five Roman Catholic pupils, who had been confirmed a week earlier in St Gregory’s parish church, sat together with their Anglican brothers and sisters.

The Reverend Ron Hesketh, former Chaplain-in-Chief for the Armed Forces, preached on Remembrance Sunday. Ron preached on the importance of ‘Memory and Remembering’. During his sermon he showed the congregation a small, camouflaged forces Bible. He also shared his experience of leading a service at the Commonwealth War grave cemetery in Gaza.

Two reunion services were held in Chapel this year. In October we welcomed those OCs who had left College in 2013. In June we welcomed those OCs who had been members of Classes between 1984 and 1994.

Out of the many fine sermons from visiting preachers, we should note that given by the Reverend Heather Randall, Senior Chaplain of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Heather preached on divine providence, coincidence and her ministry with chaplains in the Ukrainian armed forces.

As the year closed a major change to Chapel was that the maximum congregation size was reduced to 500. This was due to the imposition of new fire regulations. During the Summer Term we could no longer meet each morning as a whole school community. However, plans are in place to create a new exit in Chapel. Hopefully, when the next edition of The Cheltonian is printed, we will be able to celebrate the return of Chapel. Watch this space.

Dr Adam Dunning