Annwyl Gyfeillion

A warm thank you to those of you who gave support to the five new priests and six new deacons who were ordained over the weekend. Our collegial life is so important, and these are occasions which, while not named as professional commitments, should be priorities in our diaries. For each of those ordained, there are years of discernment, prayer and study that have gone into their vocation – work which does not stop of course, when we are ordained. By being present, we not only share in the ordination of the priests, and in the laying on of hands, but we affirm our welcome and support to our new colleagues, both priests and deacons.

Let us give thanks to God who does fresh things in our lives – not only in the lives of the newly ordained, and in the life of our diocese, but also offers the hope of refreshment, the renewal of vision and inspiration, and the sense of call to our ongoing ministries.

Over the summer and into the autumn, we face a changing set of circumstances, and we welcome further new sisters and brothers in the faith, and who will share in the life of our diocese.

Diocesan Leadership

I am pleased to announce the appointment of the Revd Dr Emma Whittick as the new Archdeacon of Wrexham. Emma is a cleric of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon and currently serves as Chaplain to Bishop John. Originally from England, Emma studied at Aberystwyth University, and from her time at St Michael’s Church developed a calling to ministry. She comes to us highly recommended with excellent references and will bring fresh direction and energy to the work in the Archdeaconry of Wrexham.

I will install Emma as Archdeacon of Wrexham at Evensong in the Cathedral at 1530hr on Sunday 27^th September. I hope that as many clergy, lay ministers and laity, especially from the archdeaconry of Wrexham, will make every effort to support this service and to welcome Emma into her new ministry.

I am delighted to welcome her into the Teulu Asaph.

Interim Arrangements

While looking forward to welcoming Emma at the end of September, I am sorry to report also that the Archdeacon of Montgomery, Gerwyn Capon, is having to take some time away from work to address health issues. Gerwyn will be off work until the end of September, and I am sure that he would welcome our support and commitment to pray for him during this time.

This means that the leadership of the diocese is going to be stretched extremely thinly over the next three months. In order to tackle this, I have taken the unusual step of inviting three experienced and professional clerics to lend support by assuming the role of Interim Archdeacons.

• Canon Richard Hainsworth will take on the archidiaconal and pastoral care of Alyn Mission Area, Deeside Mission Area, Estuary & Mountain Mission Area, and Rhos a Mynydd Mission Area for July, August and September.
• Canon Tudor Hughes has kindly agreed to come out of retirement, and will take on the care of Caereinion, Cedewain, Pool, Tanat Vyrnwy and Valle Crucis Mission Areas.
• Canon Martin Batchelor will take on the care of Maelor, Mold, Offa and Wrexham Mission Areas.

For all intents and purposes, clergy or laity needing to seek out archidiaconal help should go to these in the first instance. Like all of us, there will be times when they are on holiday, and this office can always be contacted should one of the Interim archdeacons not be available.

Please note that this division of labour does not follow the usual archidiaconal boundaries.

Archdeacon Andy Grimwood will continue to hold responsibility for St Asaph Archdeaconry as his proper charge.

In addition, former Archdeacons Peter Pike and Chris Potter have kindly agreed to make themselves available to provide supplementary pastoral care during this transition period. Clergy may approach them directly should they wish to raise matters of pastoral care for themselves which require a greater level of confidentiality, and they would prefer to approach them. This is in addition to the normal list of pastoral chaplains listed in the recent guidance on pastoral care.

Clergy Well-Being

I wish to stress to you that the well-being and pastoral care of the clergy is a priority for me. I would be the first to admit that I personally don’t always get things right, but I do seek to make sure that there are a number of experienced and wise clergy, and indeed, astute lay people nominated in different channels to be available to support and encourage you. The Bishop’s Pastoral Chaplains remain available to all who wish to invite support or to discuss personal situations. The Canon Pastor, Josh Askwith, is also there to give support, particularly to the younger clergy, and those taking on new responsibilities.

Thank you to all stipendiary clergy who participated in the Stipendiary Clergy Well-Being Survey. An average of 70% responded across the Province, and the Bench of Bishops will be looking in detail at the results of the survey at their meeting in July. I will look forward to reporting more about the results of the survey in the future.

Hwyl a Helo

I am delighted to announce the appointment of the Very Revd. Sarah Rowland Jones, currently Dean of St Davids, as Rector of Hawarden and a priest in the Deeside Mission Area. Sarah is originally from St Asaph diocese, and is returning to her roots, as is her husband, Peter.  She brings a wealth of talent and experience. Sarah’s licensing will take place in early September, details of which are below.

I am also pleased to announce the appointment of Hazel Lobo as Mission Area Leader in Offa. Hazel has agreed to take some time away from her training pathway as a Reader to help shape the Mission Area. We are enormously grateful to her for this commitment, and I look forward to working with her.

Hope Street will sponsor the creation of a new congregation for St Tudfil’s Church, Coedpoeth, which will begin services in September. I will be licensing Hugh Richardson as Priest-in-Charge in the new Hope Mission Area, which will oversee the life of the two churches, Hope Street and St Tudfil’s.

We also congratulate Tudor Hughes on the birth of a third grandchild, a baby boy named Albert.

We wish Vicki Burrows a happy future as she leaves Alyn Mission Area to take up a post in the diocese of Hereford in September, and we wish Andrea de Vaal well, as she leaves the diocese to take up a post in the Diocese of Liverpool around the same time.

We give thanks for the life and ministry of the Right Reverend Stephen Lowe, former Bishop of Hulme in the Diocese of Manchester, who passed away at the very end of June. In his retirement from the Church of England, Stephen made a valuable contribution in the re-ordering of St Mary’s Towyn before helping to shape the Aled Mission Area as its Mission Area Leader. We extend our condolences to Pauline, his wife.

It is a sadness as well to announce the death of Brian Taylor, former priest in Bagillt and Mostyn, and Paul Dunford, a priest who retired to Wales and held my PTO until 2024. We thank God for the faithful witness of priests such as Brian and Paul and commend them into God’s care. We also note the death of Christopher Barrett, the father of Hazel Lobo, and Margaret, wife of Paul Flavell. We pray for all the departed and extend our sympathies to all members of the Teulu Asaph suffering loss and bereavement.

Diary and Events                            

Please read the whole of the diary below carefully. The diary is updated every month to include all those fixed dates for events that clergy are required to attend as part of their professional commitment, together with those opportunities to build up our common life by supporting significant moments for our colleagues.

It is very important that each of you make a note of these dates. Please ensure that the dates which are a professional requirement are in your diary, even where the exact format may be open to change.

Where a clash with your own plans comes to your attention, please raise it with Esgobty at the earliest opportunity. I am still occasionally getting excuses late in the day from clergy who don’t seem to have planned ahead, or even to have read this monthly diary, and I am much more amenable when approached early to discuss any potential clashes.

Forthcoming events

1^st July                 Funeral of Brian Taylor, St Ethelwold’s Church Shotton, 1000hrs

3^rd July                 Requiem Eucharist for Adrian Johnson, St Brigid’s Church Dyserth, 1230hrs

9^th July                 Licensing of the Rt Revd David Thomas Morris as Priest-in-Charge in the Wrexham Mission Area, at St Mark’s Church, Caia Park, at 1900hr.

Later in the year

6 Sept               Licensing of the Very Revd Sarah Rowland Jones, St Deiniol’s Church, Hawarden, 1500hr.

17 Sept             Autumn Clergy Synod 1000hr – 1600hr (St David’s Hotel, Ewloe)

8 Octr               Diocesan Conference (online business meeting)

10 Octr             Diocesan Conference in person in the Cathedral

Notes and Queries

Retired Clergy Association

I am grateful to Canon Sue Huyton, who works hard as Convenor of the Retired Clergy Association, who has planned a number of events with a spread both geographically and in terms of dates. All retired clergy are warmly welcomed to any or all of these events:

8 September – Evensong and Afternoon Tea at St Mary’s Church, Chirk, at 3pm

It would be helpful if you could let Sue have expressions of interest for these so that she can give hosts an idea of approximate numbers.

26 November – Annual RCA Service in the Cathedral at 11am

Bishop Gregory will be presiding, and the service will be followed by lunch, on this occasion also in the Cathedral, following the pattern established at the Chrism Eucharists. Sue would be grateful for expressions of interest for the lunch and particular dietary requirements so that she can give a rough idea to the caterers. The speaker following lunch will be Liam Evans-Ford, Executive Director at Theatr Clwyd.

Sue also asks all Mission Area Leaders to notify her of any retired clergy or widows that might be resident in their mission areas, where they do not have PTO. As mailing lists are largely compiled from those who do have PTO, it is easy for those not active in ministry in retirement to be absent from mailing lists and contact with the Association.

As we move into the summer, may God bless you in your ministries,

In Christ,