After his consecration at the end of July 2025, Bishop Matthew, Assistant Bishop for the Northern Diocese, embarked on a Bishop’s Riding – a tour around all the churches, chaplaincies, and communities within the Diocese.
The first stop on the tour was on St Matthew’s Day at the Church of The Good Shepherd & St Tudwal, Llandudno Junction, North Wales, where Bishop Matthew preached at a service of Holy Communion.
Next was a visit to Holy Trinity Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, where Bishop Matthew preached and presided at the Harvest Festival Holy Communion.
This was followed by another stop in Lancashire, at St George’s Blackburn, where Bishop Matthew preached at Morning Prayer.
Then it was back over the Pennines to Doncaster, where the FCE has a chaplaincy provision at Doncaster Prison. It was a privilege for Bishop Matthew to lead the intercessions during a service of Holy Communion and to share fellowship with some of the inmates after the service.
The next stop was in the far north of the Diocese in St Andrews, Fife. There, Bishop Matthew preached and presided at a service of Holy Communion at the Community of St Monan, which is a missional community made up largely of university students.
The Wirral was the next destination, where Bishop Matthew preached at a service of Morning Prayer at Christ Church Liscard.
With thanks to Loganair, Bishop Matthew then made the journey to the Isle of Man. There, he met with the Church Council of St Barnabas Douglas, had an audience with His Excellency The Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer, attended the Manx Youth Orchestra Christmas Concert in the company of the Civic Party, and preached and presided at a service of Holy Communion at St Barnabas.
Bishop Matthew’s next fixture was at Ewood Park, the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, where the FCE has a chaplaincy provision. After an excellent tour and some wonderful hospitality, a tense match led to a 1-1 draw with Oxford United.
The final stop on the tour was at the Church of St Abdias of Susa, Sheffield. After preaching at a service of Morning Prayer, Bishop Matthew addressed a rally from the steps of Sheffield City Hall, in support of a return to peace and democracy in Iran. A delicious Iranian lunch followed.
It was a real privilege for Bishop Matthew to undertake this extensive tour, and it was a wonderful blessing to be able to encourage the saints and meet many interesting people along the way. In each location that he visited, Bishop Matthew ended each visit with this prayer of blessing:
May Almighty God bless this place and this Diocese, and grant gifts of wisdom, love, and compassion to all who live and work here. May God visit his people with mercy, surround them with love, and fill the hearts of all with courage, strength, and peace beyond human imagining, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.