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WELCOME

Happy New Year

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, there's something both daunting and exhilarating about the blank page ahead of us. We don't know what the next twelve months will bring—what joys or sorrows, what challenges or opportunities. But we step forward nonetheless, in hope.

Hope is not the same as optimism. It's deeper than that. Christian hope is rooted in the conviction that we do not walk into the future alone. The God who came to us at Christmas, who knows what it is to be human, who has walked our roads and faced our struggles—this is the God who goes with us into whatever lies ahead.

As a cathedral community, we're committed to being a place of welcome and sanctuary throughout the year to come. A place where you can find space to pray, to reflect, to ask questions. A place where the everyday and the eternal meet, where ancient rhythms of worship hold us steady in changing times.

So whatever 2026 holds for you—whether you face it with confidence or trepidation, with clear plans or complete uncertainty—know that you are held. The God who makes all things new is at work, even when we cannot see it. And you are always welcome here.

May this new year bring you courage for the journey, kindness in your encounters, and a deep and abiding sense that you are loved beyond measure.

The Very Revd Bob Cooper
Dean of Guildford

Please do check the Cathedral Diary and Visit Page for any access restrictions and closures which may affect your visit.