24 July 2026
The July 2026 meeting of the Church of England General Synod authorised two new liturgical observances:
The Festival of Creation in Christ - the first Sunday in September each year
The Festival of Creation in Christ, assigned to the first Sunday in September each year is one of the fruits of a growing ecumenical movement across churches worldwide and offers an opportunity for Christians to give thanks for God’s creation and redemption of the world, and to reflect on humanity’s responsibility to care for the natural world and to pray for its renewal.
The Commemoration of the Twenty-One Martyrs of Libya - 15 February each year
The Commemoration of the Twenty-One Martyrs of Libya remembers twenty-one men who were targeted specifically for their Christian identity and refused to renounce Christ despite the threat of death. They will be Commemorated in the Common Worship Calendar on 15 February and included in subsequent printings of the Calendar and Lectionary.
Writing in her pastoral letter to church leaders in Chelmsford Diocese this week, Bishop Guli said:
"It is a significant and rare step for General Synod to introduce new liturgical observances and I was pleased to be able to speak in favour of their introduction at the February meeting of General Synod. In particular, I spoke about the Commemoration of the Twenty One Martyrs of Libya who were killed in 2015, drawing on my own experiences and reminding Synod that martyrdom is not merely an ancient phenomenon but a modern day reality."
Bishop Guli's speech to the February meeting of General Synod can be watched below.
