Bishop of Warrington ‘away from diocese’
THE Suffragan Bishop of Warrington, in the diocese of Liverpool, the Rt Revd Beverley Mason, is currently “away from the diocese”, clergy were informed at last week’s chrism eucharist. A statement was read out, which said that “with the permission of the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Liverpool”, Bishop Mason “remains away from the diocese of Liverpool and is not carrying out any engagements”. Her absence is not thought to be health-related. The statement said that she was “continuing with her episcopal duties as a member of the House of Bishops and with Sandford St Martin Trust”, a religious-broadcasting charity of which Bishop Mason is a trustee. A spokesman for the diocese confirmed that the Bishop of Liverpool, with retired bishops in the diocese, would be covering Bishop Mason’s diocesan work.
Community given six months to save church
THE diocese of Exeter has agreed to delay the sale of St Petroc’s, Petrockstowe, in Devon, for six months, to give residents the chance to raise the £400,000 needed to repair the building for community use, the BBC reports. The church closed last year — at the request of the PCC — after the building failed its electrical inspection, owing to water ingress. The PCC was unable to secure grants to repair the roof or repoint the walls. Information obtained by the BBC from the Local Democracy Reporting Service suggests that 60 residents who attended a village meeting were in favour of saving the church for the community. A spokeswoman for the diocese said: “As a charity, we would be delighted if a sustainable future use can be found for St Petroc’s which would benefit the whole community. We agreed to delay wider marketing of the building for a period of six months to give a community group the opportunity to develop a viable project plan. We have not asked for £400,000 but have asked that any group which wishes to purchase St Petroc’s can cover the cost of essential repairs to the building. We will support the community as far as we are able, in their efforts to preserve this historic building and ensure it remains at the heart of village life for generations to come.” The congregation has formed a Local Ecumenical Partnership with a Methodist chapel. A heritage adviser, Emily Wapshott, said: “This area is sorely lacking in local cultural centres, amenities . . . [and] work opportunities for young people.”
Grant awarded to York Minster apprentice
THE Benefact Trust has awarded a grant of £71,726 to York Minster to support the costs of a joinery apprenticeship. William Dixon will be one of the first apprentices to benefit from the Minster’s new Centre of Excellence for Heritage Skills and Estate Management, also funded by the Trust. The director of works and precinct, Alexander McCallion, said: “Apprentices are the lifeblood of the Minster’s continuing work and development, and we are absolutely delighted to welcome Will as our new Benefact Trust apprentice joiner.” The senior grants and operations officer for Benefact Trust, Paul Playford, hoped that the grant would inspire the next generation of heritage craftspeople.
Correction: last week, we incorrectly stated that the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, had been appointed as the first female chair of Christian Aid (News, 28 March). Dame Anne Owers was appointed chair in 2008.