Archbishop of Canterbury to lead prayer service in St Albans after Royal Wedding
![St Albans Cathedral [Picture: Alan Davies]](https://images.cm.archant.co.uk/resource/responsive-image/5130112/article-lead-image/xs/1/p1040060.jpg)
St Albans Cathedral [Picture: Alan Davies] - Credit: Archant
The Archbishop of Canterbury will head to St Albans after officiating the Royal Wedding as part of a global prayer movement.
After officiating the Royal wedding at Windsor Castle, Archbishop Justin Welby will address hundreds of Christians at St Albans Cathedral on the eve of Pentecost Sunday (May 20), marking the finale of the prayer movement ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.
Several churches from across Herts and Bedfordshire will gather together to pray. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who is primate of the Episcopal Church in the USA and who is set to preach at the Royal Wedding, will also attend.
Thy Kingdom Come, which is now in its third year, initially began as a call to prayer from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York but is now a movement in 85 countries, calling people to prayer between Ascension and Pentecost.
The St Albans service is one of just two Thy Kingdom Come events the Archbishop will attend over the weekend, due to his busy schedule.
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Church leaders from across the main denominations will contribute to the event, with the Bishop of St Albans, Rev Alan Smith, giving the welcome, Baptist minister Rev Hayley Young preaching, prayers led by Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, and a contribution from the Rev Dr David Chapman and the Rev Simon Carter, from the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Representatives from the Roman Catholic Church will also attend, as well as Christian youth movement Soul Survivor Watford.
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During the service Archbishop Justin Welby is expected to bless 500 postcards carrying prayers and strength for GCSE and A-Level students ahead of their exams. There will also be ‘prayer station’ installations designed to suit people of different ages and with different styles of prayer, including those suitable for children and people with sensory impairments.
There will also be prayer stations focused on social justice themes, including praying for people trapped in modern-day slavery.
The celebration starts at 6.30pm on Saturday, with members of the public invited to visit the prayer stations from 4pm. The service will also be livestreamed around the world from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Facebook channel.
