Cathedral Chorister takes on Child Bishop role to celebrate St Nicholas Day

One of Norwich Cathedral’s choristers took on the role of Child Bishop at a special Evensong to celebrate St Nicholas, the patron saint of children.

Twelve-year-old Sébastien Dubroeucq was named the Cathedral’s 2025 Child Bishop and used his new role to share wise words about the importance of being kind and supporting each other on life’s journeys.

The St Nicholas Day service on Friday 5 December was attended by the Bishop of Thetford, the Rt Revd Ian Bishop, who blessed Sébastien and presented him with a book of prayers, before Sébastien gave his homily.

Sébastien told the congregation: “Every one of us in this building is going through some sort of journey, and our duty as God’s people is to help and guide each other through our journeys in life as God helps and guides us. As peers and friends, we should support and be kind to each other as we each go on our own individual journey.”

The custom of Boy Bishop was popular in the Middle Ages, when the Bishop of the Diocese would symbolically stand to one side on St Nicholas Day and allow a boy to take his place.

The idea behind bringing back the custom of a Boy Bishop - known today as a Child Bishop - to Norwich Cathedral is to highlight the importance of young people and help provide a platform for young people’s voices to be heard.

The St Nicholas Day Evensong was part of Norwich Cathedral’s programme of services and events for Advent and Christmas, and at the end of the service the Cathedral’s outdoor crib was blessed.