During the service, 152 recipients, 76 men and 76 women (signifying the age of the Monarch), will be presented by The King, with specially-minted Maundy money to thank them for their outstanding Christian service and for making a difference to the lives of people in their local communities.
Nominated and selected from the Diocese of Durham and other dioceses across the Province of York and from Wales and Scotland, the 152 recipients are preparing to attend the service at Durham Cathedral next week which will be attended by both The King and Queen.
One of this year’s recipients, Anne Johnson, has been recognised for her dedication on connecting isolated local communities and groups to church initiatives, and was invited to the service in January earlier this year.
Each recipient of Maundy money is given two small leather purses by The King, one red and one white. The first contains a small amount of ordinary coinage which symbolises the Sovereign's gift for food and clothing. The second purse contains Maundy coins up to the value of the Sovereign's age (which this year is 76p). The coins are legal tender but recipients normally prefer to retain them as a keepsake. This year the Red Purse contains a £5 coin commemorating The Queen Mother, and a 50p coin which features stories of WWII.
Anne said she was ‘delighted and proud’ when she received the invitation and continued,
“It is a huge honour to receive this precious gift and participate in this ancient tradition”
Royal Maundy takes place each year on the Thursday before Easter Day and is a special service in which the King expresses his gratitude for those who serve and volunteer in their communities. The service is rooted in the tradition of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet in the Upper Room the night before his death and goes back to medieval times.
Anne, who has been pivotal in linking church with community activities in particular with those who are vulnerable, isolated or sick, has also recently been encouraging local schools and Guides, Scouts and Cubs to get involved with Eco work in the churchyard.
She was nominated by a representative from the Hartlepool Deanery who said,
“Anne works tirelessly to make church the centre of local community. People turn to her for her knowledge of local history, the church and local community. She also offers a warm welcome to people into church understanding that a welcome does not stop at the initial greeting.”
The service takes place on Thursday 17 April at 11am and is for invited guests only including the152 recipients of Maundy Money, together with one guest each, those who are participating in the service and representatives of the Diocese of Durham, Durham Cathedral and civic personnel.
Members of the public are free to attend the wider event. However, there will be significant restrictions to access and free movement in and around the City.
For more information about the Royal Maundy service at Durham Cathedral visit www.durhamcathedral.co.uk