The Lord Mayor's Service of Reflection of Hope
22nd June 2021My first outing in the City as Master was to St Paul’s Cathedral, for a service organised by the Lord Mayor. As the Dean of St Paul’s said in his welcome, the intention was to “remember those who have lost their lives as a result of the pandemic; to give thanks for the sacrificial efforts of those who have risen to meet the needs of the many throughout the last year; and to look forward in hope to the future.” The service did just that: the music and readings, and the Address by the Bishop of London, The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, were spot on. Perhaps most poignant of all was the Testimony of a Consultant Chest Physician from Barts, Dr Will Ricketts, who gave a moving, yet hopeful, account of what life was really like for him and his colleagues on the front line during the worst of the second wave. What they were able to do, and how they were able to carry on, in the most horrific circumstances, was truly remarkable. We are in their debt, and the debt of all of the key workers and volunteers who have helped us through this crisis.
Many thanks to the Master Apothecary, who allowed a great number of Masters to use his hall to Gown ourselves, and to process together up to St Paul’s. Also, it was lovely to be able to meet up after the service with Renter Warden Elise Rasmussen, and Past Master Mark Gower-Smith, for a drink and a chat, before the office drew me back.