New Priest for Corwen Group of churches

A new priest has been appointed to serve the communities of Corwen, Llandegla, Bryneglwys, Carrog and Glyndyfrdwy in the Valle Crucis Mission Area.

Revd Helen Gheorghiu Gould was licensed by the Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron during a special service at the Church of Ss Mael & Sulien in Corwen, on Sunday 12 September at 3.30pm.

Helen Gheorghiu Gould comes to Wales from the Diocese of Chelmsford.  Ordained in 2010 Helen served her curacy in the Essex market town of Epping, before becoming involved in Interim Ministry and Vacancy Development, leading healing and re-visioning following parish breakdown, along with working with parishes in vacancy before the appointment of a new permanent parish priest.  For the last six years Helen has served as Priest-in-Charge of the rural parish of Nazeing, during which time she secured a £650,000 redevelopment of one village church as a community hub.

Prior to ordination, Helen served as parish development worker building a community café and art project at a church in East London and for ten years ran Creative Exchange, a charity working with arts and culture in international and community development. She previously worked as a print journalist at The Stage, as Editor at the National Campaign for the Arts and in regional and national newspapers.

Helen is married to Sergiu Gheorghiu, a teacher in ICT, who originates from Romania, and they have three children, Theo, Luc and Isabela, all of whom are bi-lingual. Horses are a passion and the family shows ridden Welsh ponies and cobs. Helen is no stranger to the Diocese of St Asaph, having grown up on the North Wales coast, attending Prestatyn High School, and spending many happy hours with the Flint and Denbigh Pony Club.

Commenting on her new ministry, Helen said: “I am delighted to be joining the Corwen Group in the Valle Crucis Mission Area, and the wider Teulu Asaph at such an interesting time in its development. I hope I can help encourage and support growth in the Valle Crucis Mission Area, alongside many gifted colleagues and lay leaders.  The ministry of transition, which God has led me into in recent years, has always been about listening to where God is leading us together through the Holy Spirit, making the most of our gifts and resources to be a blessing to our communities.”

In welcoming Helen back to Wales and to ministry in the Diocese of St Asaph, Bishop Gregory said: “We are delighted to welcome Helen and her family to St Asaph. Helen brings a wealth of talent in a particular sort of ministry – Transition Ministry, where a Church is helped to reorient its life and establish itself in preparation for the next chapter between full time appointments of a Vicar. We look forward to Helen helping the Corwen Group of churches to prepare for their future.”