| Where: | Formerly Ripon, Yorkshire at the Cathedral |
| When: | Formerly a Sunday near 6th December |
| Time: | Formerly 10.30 am |
St Nicholas’ Day falls on December 6th and because he is patron saint of children, it was appropriate for this to be the chosen date to elect a Boy Bishop. In the past it was a common practice in many larger churches and Cathedrals to elect a chorister to act as Bishop for a short period in advent, in a typical seasonal role-reversal custom whereby masters and servants swap places for a spell. Most of these practices ceased at the reformation but the custom took place in a recently revived form for a few years at Ripon Cathedral in a ceremony reconstructed from medieval practices. As the choir is made up of both boys and girls, it was usually entitled as the Chorister Bishop rather than Boy Bishop, to bring it up to date, and in 2021 for the first time it was a child from the parish rather than a chorister. The Bishop was bedecked in special robes and mitre, carried a small crozier, and was attended by a pair of junior Canons. While the Child Bishop is no longer presiding over the service near St Nicholas’ Day, for a while there was a special Toy Service for families in its place. Donations of gifts for those in need were collected at the service for distribution as Christmas presents, and a candle was lit on the Advent wreath.
Helpful Hints
In 2026 gifts should be collected for distribution by the Salvation Army- contact the Cathedral for details. There is currently no Child Bishop Ceremony or special Toy Service on the Sunday near St Nicholas’ Day, though donors are encouraged to bring gifts for children who may otherwise receive few Christmas presents.
The Bishop custom was revived very briefly including 2019 when the photos were taken. Other similar customs exist, notably at Salisbury (see separate article) but as far as I’m aware this one was the furthest North in England in recent years.
Photography wasn’t permitted during the ceremony but in 2019 it was easy to get some photos of the Bishop and her canons distributing cake to the parishioners near the doors just after the service.
Click here for the Cathedral website: https://www.riponcathedral.org.uk
and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cathedralripon/
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