PENTECOST SUNDAY is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, celebrated early enough to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (20:16) and St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (16:8). It is the 50th day after Easter (if we count both Easter and Pentecost), and it supplants the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover and which celebrated the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai. Celebrated this year on May 11, Birmingham Cathedral hosted the city’s own Pentecost Sunday, which was exclusively captioned ‘Praying into the Heart of the Nation’.

The event, which brought various churches in Birmmingham together, featured a live gospel band, stories of hope, testimonies, blessing the city of Birmingham through prayer, declaring God’s praise in the city and joining the worldwide church in the Global Day of Prayer.

Hosted by Bishop David Urquhart and Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the event was coordinated by St Johns Church, Harborne, Birmingham Cathedral, Reverend Canon John Hughes, Reverend Canon Peter Howell-Jones and Reverend Andrew McNeil.