Some church candles were once made to the height of a deceased person being remembered. Sometimes they were the same height of a living person needing our prayers.

Candles representing pilgrims, the dead and others will form just part next year’s Lent art installation being created by Michelle Rumney for Southwark Cathedral.

Lent starts on Wednesday 26 February 2020 and lasts for six weeks until Easter in April.

2020 is the 850th anniversary of St Thomas Becket’s martyrdom and so the work will explore the idea of pilgrimage and the pilgrim route to Canterbury.

Michelle is starting now measuring people with string so she can weave hundreds of lengths into her installation.

“I’d love everyone who feels they have a special connection with Southwark in any way to be part of this if they’d like to be – to actually be part of the artwork,” says Michelle.

The first measuring day in Southwark Cathedral is Sunday 17 November when Michelle will be available to meet people between the Choral Eucharist at 11am and Evensong at 3pm.

She will also stay on after Evensong until 5.45 to continue measuring from head to toe anyone who wishes to be part of the artwork.

There will be another Measuring Day at the Cathedral in the New Year on Sunday 12 January.

The backdrop to the artwork will be the 500 year old great screen which features images of figures associated with the Southwark to Canterbury pilgrimage including St Thomas, St Swithun, John Gower, Cardinal Beaufort and Bishop Richard Fox.