THE Archbishop of York has been paid a fitting tribute by a college in the city, which has named a building after him.

Dr David Hope visited York St John College where the religious education (RE) centre has been renamed in his honour.

The David Hope RE Centre is housed in the Fountains Learning Centre at the college, and is a nationally-recognised collection of Religious Education resources.

The centre's new name marks Dr Hope's commitment to religious education and his support for the centre's work.

It holds a wide range of resources, including books, CD Roms, artefact kits, and other learning materials to support learning and teaching in religious education across all Key Stages.

College principal Professor Dianne Willcocks said: "Archbishop David Hope is no ordinary cleric. His ministry, as Church leader and, in the future, as a servant of his Church, demonstrates his commitment to reach out to people in many and different ways. We at York St John are proud to associate the name of David Hope with an RE centre that will serve the growing demands of schools and young people for material to support heightened interest in issues of faith and spirituality."

Dr Hope is to retire in January, when he will become a parish priest in Ilkley.

Updated: 10:32 Wednesday, December 01, 2004