The Prayer Book Society has answered a request for copies of the Book of Common Prayer from Lambeth Palace.

The Archbishop’s chaplain, the Revd Tosin Oladipo, contacted the PBS. He asked for 50 copies of the the Book of Common Prayer for use in Lambeth Palace’s Crypt Chapel and for the members of the Community of St Anslem.

The Crypt Chapel is the oldest part of Lambeth Palace. Originally used for storing wine and beer, it was not used as a chapel until World War ll, when the main Chapel was destroyed in the blitz. Today, the Crypt Chapel is in near constant use with services including Book of Common Prayer Evening Prayer every weekday.

Archbishop Justin launched the Community of St Anselm in 2015. This gives young Christians from the UK and around the world an opportunity to immerse themselves in monastic-inspired community life. Drawing on the riches of various tradition and denominations, Christians aged 20-35 spend a year praying, studying and serving those on the margins of society.

“The copies of the Book of Common Prayer we have gifted to the Palace will get very regular use,” said John Service, the PBS’ Churches and Clergy Coordinator. “The members of the Community will take their personal copies away with them at the end of their year serving at St Anselm’s.”

The Revd Tosin Oladipo said, “While at Theological college,  I received a copy of the Book of Common Prayer from the Prayer Book Society which I have carried with me ever since.”

“The Community of St Anselm are a group of young people, from around the world. The experience of praying together using the BCP is one they will remember long into the future. Providing each of them with their own copy of the Prayer Book is an encouragement for them to persist in daily prayer, and something they will keep and carry into the rest of their lives.”

The Prayer Book Society will provide a copy of the BCP to every member of each new cohort invited to stay at St Anselm’s including the next group arriving in September 2022.