Bishops Back Bede

Monday 28 Jul 08

Bishops from around the world gathered at St Paul’s Church, Jarrow, on Monday 14th July 2008 to pledge their support for the World Heritage Site nomination for the twin Anglo-Saxon monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow.
The Bishops, from as far afield as Australia and Chile, paid a visit to the region on the way to a national conference in Canterbury.
Following in the footsteps of the Duke of Gloucester, who pledged his support for the World Heritage Site bid earlier this year, all six Bishops signed the ‘Book of Life’, a 21st century creation based on the 7th century Durham Liber Vitae (Latin for Book of Life), started in an early Northumbrian monastery and used to record the names of those who supported it.
The books will be used to demonstrate public support for Wearmouth-Jarrow, which will be nominated for World Heritage Site Status by the UK Government in 2010.
Bishop David McCall, the Bishop of Bunbury, Australia said: “The Venerable Bede is one of the great figures of our history and the 7th-century remains in the church are outstanding. I am delighted to lend my support to the proposal to list Wearmouth-Jarrow as a World Heritage Site.”
The monastery site consists of two churches, St Peter’s, Wearmouth, Sunderland and St Paul’s, Jarrow and was created by Benedict Biscop in the 7th century. 

To get recognition on a world wide scale the bid needs the support of people locally and internationally as Rt Rev Mark Bryant, Bishop of Jarrow and Chair of the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership, explains: “This visit demonstrates the international significance of the site. UNESCO, who decide which sites become world heritage sites, are also keen to see that local people are actively involved with supporting the nomination, so we need everyone to pledge their support.