Just to the south-east of the Minster in York is an open air stonemasons workshop, where it is possible to watch the Minster stonemasons creating new carvings to be installed on the Minster.
Amongst recently completed pieces of work is this carving of John Sentamu, former Archbishop of York, now retired.
Born near Kampala in Uganda, Sentamu studied law at Makerere University before gaining employment as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Uganda. Speaking out against the regime of President Idi Amin, he was briefly imprisoned before fleeing in 1974 to the United Kingdom, where he devoted himself to the church, beginning his study of theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge, in 1976 and eventually gaining a doctorate in 1984. He studied for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and was ordained in 1979. In 1996 he was consecrated as the area bishop of Stepney and in 2002 became Bishop of Birmingham. In 2005 he was appointed to the office of Archbishop of York.
He was very much a man of the people, publicly supporting many poor and oppressed groups and individuals.
It is good to see that as the worn and corroded stonework of the Minster is replaced, it celebrates some of its modern heroes.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
It is good to see a modern hero of the church being recorded in the structure of the Minster.
Ian