Churches across England will participate in a series of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on Thursday, 8th May 2025.
Events will offer an opportunity for reflection, remembrance, and a renewed commitment to peace, echoing the spirit of unity that defined the end of the Second World War in Europe.
On 8th May 2025, communities will come together to honour the sacrifices made by those who served in the conflict and to pray for lasting peace both at home and abroad. The Church of England is providing resources and encouraging parishes to engage in acts of commemoration and prayer.
Free resources are now online for parishes and communities to use.
A key element of the commemoration will be the ringing of church bells at 6.30pm on VE Day. Echoing the sounds that swept across the country in 1945, churches and cathedrals are invited to ring their bells as a collective act of thanksgiving.
Coventry Cathedral, whose ruins are a potent reminder of the cost of war, will commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a wide range of events and worship both at home and abroad.
The Dean of Coventry, the Very Revd John Witcombe will travel to Berlin for the anniversary to join a special service in their partner church, the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, with the Federal State President of Germany and other ecumenical and international representatives.
The service will be broadcast live on German national TV, and the Dean has been asked to introduce the Coventry Litany, which will be read in seven different languages.
Dean John says:
"I am honoured to have been invited to participate in the national service of remembrance taking place in the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche in Berlin, with Federal state President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and other international representatives.
‘I will be introducing the Coventry Litany of Reconciliation, a prayer for God’s forgiveness for all that divides people and nations, which will then be led by voices from different countries before I conclude, praying in the words of St. Paul, 'Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.'"
On May 2nd there is a joint VE/VJ Day 80 Concert fundraising concert for the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation which will feature live performances from special guests including the Brass Band of Central England, renowned Cellist Guy Johnston, and the UK’s premier wartime act, the D-Day Darlings.
On Thursday 8th May, historians Adam Wood and Adam Neale will host two illustrated talks to commemorate the anniversary titled Bombs in Coventry: The 1939 IRA Attack & The 1940 Blitz.
Andrew Alldrick, Coventry Cathedral’s Bell Ringing Master, will be ringing the bells as part of the national VE Day initiative at 6:30pm on Thursday 8 May.