Leicester Bishop Rt Rev Tim Stevens holds last service

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-33480906

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The Bishop of Leicester is to hold his last service.

The Right Reverend Tim Stevens, , who has sometimes been criticised for being "too political", is standing down after 16 years.

In his time, he has been vocal on poverty issues, as well as setting up charities for refugees and a food bank in the city.

The service will be shown on big screens outside Leicester Cathedral on Saturday from 15:00 BST.

Bishop Stevens said working in Leicester and Leicestershire had taught him a lot over the years and he would "miss it immensely".

He said: "It has been the most fulfilling, challenging and interesting years of my life.

"It has been full of change, the city is different since I came, the relations between faiths have changed and the nature of the community has changed and we go full of gratitude."

Rt Rev. Stevens has also been widely commended for his work on inter-faith relations and the reinterment of Richard III earlier this year.

Dean of Leicester, The Very Reverend David Monteith said there would be "tears of sadness and tears of joy" at the bishop's final service.

He said the Bishop would remove his robes and mitre and place them on the cathedral floor before leaving in simple robes.

The ceremony will be followed by a party with food, drink and music in the gardens.