Events at Westminster Abbey
Dignity season
Throughout Autumn 2023, we will be exploring dignity through a series of events, talks, sermons and tours.
Why dignity?
Human dignity is at the heart of this season of public events, focusing on the inherent value of every individual as given by God. As people created in the image of God, these events give us a chance to connect with the past, engage with the present, and shape a future where dignity and respect prevail.
Celebrating Ignatius Sancho - among the first black Britons to vote
Ignatius Sancho was a celebrated writer, composer, actor and local shopkeeper. Sancho became a member of the St Margaret’s parish and was married, his children baptised and was buried within it.
Formerly enslaved, Sancho campaigned for abolition, was among the first Black men to vote in an election and the first Black man to have his obituary in the newspaper.
Sancho will be honoured alongside his wife, Anne Osborne when a new memorial is dedicated in their memory in St Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 19th December.
Events, talks and guided tour
Explore the memorials within the Abbey with fresh eyes, join us during our programme of events to decode the memorials, discover the lasting legacy of people commemorated in the Abbey and think about why and how we remember people.
Modern martyrs sermon series
Above the Abbey’s Great West Door stand ten statues to 20th-century Christian martyrs - those who have been oppressed or persecuted for their faith.
From September - December a sermon series, ‘The Noble Army of Martyrs’, will focus on the lives of those depicted, their ongoing resonance, and legacy for the Church.
Institute: Dignity and public service
A season of events exploring how public service can preserve, protect and enable one of the most fundamental aspects of humanity: dignity.
