Living the Lantern with Zoe (Autumn 2025)

Published October 2025

In the Middle Ages, Newcastle Cathedral’s Lantern Tower guided ships navigating the River Tyne. Today, our Lantern Project serves as a beacon for those facing challenging circumstances in life.

This article was originally published in the Autumn 2025 edition of Link, the quaterly magazine for the Diocese of Newcastle.

The Revd Zoe Heming, Newcastle Cathedral’s Canon for Mission, writes…

It’s been nearly a year since my family and I moved to Newcastle. Settling into a new home is never easy, but the warmth and support we’ve found here has made our move 150 miles north-east a joy.

Newcastle has been a City of Sanctuary since 2014, part of a nationwide network that walks and works alongside asylum seekers and refugees as they rebuild their lives.

On my first Sunday, a group of Iranian congregation members introduced themselves, hoping to restart the Bible study groups that my much-missed predecessor, Canon Peter Dobson, had begun. Some had been part of the Cathedral community for some time, and others, like me, had just arrived. What began as a group for Farsi speakers has grown into a vibrant, multi-language Bible study – with a touch of Geordie, of course!

Through this group, we have deepened our understanding of Jesus, whose parents became refugees to protect him and who lived – and died – under the oppression of military occupation. For those of us who have never faced such realities, forming friendships with people who have has opened new, life-giving ways to connect with his story.

This journey has been a true learning curve. In today’s world of social media and soundbites, my understanding of migration was largely shaped by the news, often framed as a divisive issue. Many of the Cathedral community wanted to move beyond the headlines and get to know these congregation members better.

An asylum seeker is someone fleeing persecution who has arrived in another country, identified themselves to the authorities, and exercised their legal right to seek protection.

A refugee is an asylum seeker whose claim has been accepted and who now has the same rights as any UK resident. In the North East, fewer than 2,400 asylum seekers live among a population of over 2.6 million – just 0.09%.

At a time of increasingly heightened tensions, we celebrate how enriched our cathedral community is by members who have come from places where Christians face persecution. On Sunday 12 October, West End Refugee Service will host a Q&A on the asylum system following the Cathedral’s 10am Sung Eucharist. Our Harvest Collection, concluding on Sunday 19 October, will support their amazing work.

During our Harvest Festival service, we’ll also showcase artwork created by asylum seeker and refugee members of our Bible study group. Inspired by the natural world and drawing on the Cathedral’s architectural motifs, these pieces are being created in collaboration with artist Rory Williams as part of a project supported by Newcastle City Council’s Arts Development Team.

Newcastle is truly a City of Sanctuary – and I’m grateful to call it home.