Lord Lieutenant dies in helicopter crash

THE Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Barry Dodd, died when the helicopter that he was piloting crashed near the village of Aldborough last week. The Archbishop of York, Dr Sentamu, said that he was shocked and saddened to learn of Mr Dodd’s death. Dr Sentamu said: “He was greatly admired and valued across the county, working tirelessly with businesses and charities to encourage and inspire them in their enterprises. He will be sorely missed.” Mr Dodd was an entrepreneur and became Lord Lieutenant in 2014. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has is looking into the cause of the crash.

Withington becomes first ‘Inclusive’ deanery

ALL 12 churches in the Withington area deanery, in the diocese of Manchester, have signed up to Inclusive Church this week. The Area Dean, the Revd Stephen Edwards, said that he hoped that this would encourage all people to be welcomed and tackle discrimination. The churches signed a statement that said: “We believe in inclusive Church — church which does not discriminate, on any level, including economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race or sexuality.” Mr Edwards said: “We’re looking at the full breadth of issues that can contribute to making people feel excluded. We are noticing more ways in which being inclusive is at the heart of the Church’s mission, and there is still much to learn and do.”

Bishop of Loughborough elected CEC Vice-President

THE Bishop of Loughborough, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, was elected Vice President of the Conference of European Churches on Monday. Bishop Christopher Hill now stands down as the CEC’s President, to be succeeded by the Revd Christian Krieger, President of the Reformed Church in Alsace and Lorraine, and Vice-President of both the Union of Protestant Churches in Alsace and Lorraine and the Protestant Federation of France.

Leicester Cathedral’s development plans revealed

THE Dean and Chapter of Leicester Cathedral have published plans for its “most significant building development” in at least 80 years. The proposals include a new Heritage Learning Centre across four levels, as well as repairs and renovations. The Dean of Leicester, the Very Revd David Monteith said on Tuesday: “We want to give every visitor the proper welcome they deserve, and to be able to tell the stories of our city and our faith in ways which are accessible to as many as possible.” The plans are part of a £11.3-million project, Leicester Cathedral Revealed, and are on display in the cathedral. Annual visitor figures have risen from 20,000 to 200,000 since the reinterment of King Richard III in 2015. Plans are being submitted over the summer to local planning authorities and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission.

Father Ted to return as a musical

THE 1990s Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, about three Roman Catholic priests and their housekeeper in rural west Ireland, is set to return as a musical, one of its co-writers, Graham Linehan, announced on Twitter on Saturday. The show, Pope Ted: The Father Ted Musical, was “almost written”, he said. The co-creator Arthur Matthews was also involved, and the music would be by Neil Hannon, Mr Linehan said. “It’s the real final episode of Father Ted.” The series began in 1995. Dermot Morgan, who starred as Father Ted, died before the final series was broadcast in 1998.

SARAH HOWLANDLife-saver installed: the Bishop of Horsham, the Rt Revd Mark Sowerby, blesses a defibrillator on the wall of the church hall of St Mary’s, East Grinstead, in Chichester diocese, last month. It was installed after the PCC heard of a local heart-attack survivor’s campaign