Cathedral precentors travel to Rome

CLERGY from Anglican cathedrals gathered in Rome for the annual Precentors Conference last week, organised by the Association of English Cathedrals. They met the Pope and were the guests of two Vatican departments: the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. They also visited the Anglican Centre in Rome, the Venerable English College, and the Episcopal Church of St Paul Within the Walls.

Charity Commission chair commends trustees

THE chair of the Charity Commission, Mark Simms, speaking in Liverpool Cathedral last Friday, praised charity trustees. He said: “If the work of some front-line volunteers is akin to singing loudly from the chancel: delightful, visible and audible. . . Then the work of volunteer trustees is more like modest prayer, contemplation and sacrifice.” He discussed the challenges that charities faced in recruiting new trustees, and highlighted the work done by cathedral Friends charities in supporting and maintaining places of worship and community.

Irish church leaders affirm sanctity of life

THE Church Leaders Group said in a statement last Friday that they “unequivocally condemn any attempt by individuals, or sections of the community, to justify or legitimize the murder of others”. They said that “human life is a divine and sacred gift to be cherished, nurtured and protected.” The signatories were the Anglican and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Armagh; the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland; and the President of the Irish Council of Churches.

Dean of St Davids attends awards ceremony

THE Dean of St Davids, the Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, attended the 70th-anniversary Women of the Year awards ceremony, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, on Monday. The Dean, who has been at St Davids since 2018, said that she was “incredibly proud” to be invited. “It means the world to be recognised in this way.”

Correction. In our story last week about the Rivers of Repair event, we reported that Tom Trevelyan described a £100-million education fund. It was a £100,000 education fund. We apologise for the error.