A member of the Scottish Episcopal Church has been recognised for her service to church and community as a recipient of Maundy money.

Maundy nominations are made on behalf of people who have faithfully served the church and wider community in ways not previously recognised by a public honour. Wendy Duncan, a member of St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth was among the Scottish Maundy recipients who were honoured at the service which this year was held in Durham Cathedral on Thursday 17 April.

Wendy, who is a lay representative of the Cathedral, has been a volunteer at the Cathedral and in the local community in a number of different roles, as well as in the wider Diocese of St Andrew’s, Dunkeld & Dunblane.

Commenting after the event she said: “What an incredible experience it was to share in. It was a great honour to have been invited to the service and Durham Cathedral was a truly stunning setting for this ancient Maundy ceremony.

“We were warmly welcomed by the cathedral team and were amazed by the pageantry of the occasion. The service itself was very moving, with beautiful music and that powerful feeling you experience when worshipping together with hundreds of fellow Christians.

“I was delighted to have been proposed for the honour while being very aware that there are so many others working in their church and local communities who will have done similar work, and over many years. And so I felt I was accepting the Royal Maundy on behalf of a much wider team.

“Meeting the King and exchanging a few brief words was a great thrill!”

His Majesty King Charles, ahead of the service, delivered an Easter Message where he spoke of the “paradox of human life (which) runs through the Easter story and in the scenes that daily come before our eyes — at one moment, terrible images of human suffering and, in another, heroic acts in war-torn countries where humanitarians of every kind risk their own lives to protect the lives of others.”

He went on to say that: “On Maundy Thursday, Jesus knelt and washed the feet of many of those who would abandon Him. His humble action was a token of His love that knew no bounds or boundaries and is central to Christian belief.

“The love He showed when he walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions, and in the hearts of all who seek the good of others.”

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Image: The official Youtube channel of the British Monarchy.