Join us at St. John’s on Sunday evening,
March 18 at 7:30 p.m. for Mothering Sunday.
We serve simnel cake with coffee and tea
at a reception following the service.

Mothering Sunday

March 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Reception to follow

Sunday evening, March 18, at 7:30 p.m., the Cathedral will be welcoming the Diocesan community for the annual “Mothering Sunday Service”.

This special Eucharist will also include the reaffirmation of baptismal promises and ordination vows, as well as the blessing of oils by the Bishop for distribution to Diocesan parishes.

The whole emphasis of the day was on the family, both the human family and the family of God, as children came home to visit their parents and worship together.

Mothering Sunday in the Anglican Communion takes its name from Galations 4:26, where Paul says “Jerusalem which is above is free; which is the mother of us all”. This heavenly Jerusalem is our spiritual home, on earth she is the church. In England, mid-Lent Sunday gradually became the universal day for the yearly pilgrimage to the Cathedral or mother church of the Diocese and received the popular nickname of “Mothering Sunday”. Thousands of pilgrims signing the “Ascent Psalms” (Psalms 120-134) would throng the Cathedrals until, after some centuries, the crowds created problems and the “Mothering” services were moved to the Parish churches; in modern times they have been moved back to the Cathedrals.

The whole emphasis of the day was on the family, both the human family and the family of God, as children came home to visit their parents and worship together. Mothers received gifts including Simnel Cake and flowers.

The traditional Simnel Cake probably takes its name from the Latin word “siminellus”, meaning fine wheat flour. The cakes were rich and varied, highly glazed and very hard. Some were star shaped or decorated with pictures of Christ and His Mother. The Shrewsbury Simnel is the cake most commonly used today; it is a rich fruit cake with a layer of almond paste baked into the center and decorated with twelve balls of almond representing the twelve apostles. It is traditional to have the parish children bring the cakes to the alter to be blessed.

– Adapted from the Anglican Church Ladies Cookbook “Best Recipes this side of Heaven”

Bake a Simnel Cake

Traditionally, simnel cake is served on this special occasion. Please assist us in hosting this evening by baking a simnel cake.

Recipes and a sign up list can also be found in the Narthex.