This month we saw a number of retirements announced.
Cathedral Communities get ready to say goodbye after a number of retirement announcements.
This Sunday (25 September) sees the last services for both the Dean of Truro, the Very Revd Roger Bush and the Dean of Carlisle, the Very Rev Mark Boyling.
The Dean of Newcastle, the Very Revd Geoff Miller announced his retirement yesterday. Read more about his retirement here.
The Dean of Carlisle had led the team at Carlisle Cathedral for 18 years. During that time he has overseen the multi-million-pound Fratry project – a landmark education, events and hospitality space in the Cathedral precinct –steered the cathedral through the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and shaped many of the special acts of worship held in the Cathedral.
He has also led the Cathedral through the new Cathedrals Measure of 2021 to help Carlisle Cathedral become one of the first Cathedrals in the country to achieve charitable status.
The Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Rev James Newcome, has paid tribute to the Dean, saying
“It has been a constant joy and privilege to work closely with Mark over many years here in Cumbria. He and Helen have made a huge contribution to the County as well as to the City of Carlisle and its historic Cathedral, and we will miss them very much indeed.
“The beautiful new Fratry building provides us all with a lasting reminder of the Dean’s vision, creativity and perseverance, and we wish the whole family every blessing in retirement.”
The Dean of Truro has been in post for ten years and during that time has seen some distinct changes in his role.
He reflects:
“The cathedral is in a more prominent position than it was ten years ago, especially with regard to the wider community of Cornwall and today, they are much more aware of their mission to the people they serve throughout the area of their respective dioceses, and Truro is no different:
“We have always been Cornwall’s cathedral, and now we are more geared up to celebrate and honour the people of Cornwall as much as we can: so, in recent years, we have hosted tourism awards, had silent discos for NHS workers, had a Radio Cornwall Awards ceremony, fashion parades, craft fairs, and many others, all recognising the skill, service and talent that the people of Cornwall show in abundance.
“We are also here, of course, to shower God’s blessing on our people to celebrate their gifts, as well as proclaim the hope of the Gospel wherever it is needed.
“The cathedral is a wonderful place to bring people together, for worship, for events, for volunteering, and it has been the greatest privilege of my life to have served at the heart of such a community for ten years,’ he added.
Meanwhile, The Acting Dean of York, The Revd Michael Smith, has announced he will retire from York Minster and stipendiary ministry early next year.
Michael joined the team at York Minster as Canon Pastor in September 2013 and was appointed Acting Dean of York in January 2022, following the appointment of the previous Dean, The Right Reverend Dr Jonathan Frost, as the Bishop of Portsmouth.
The Very Revd Dominic Barrington, Dean of St James Cathedral in Chicago, was announced as the new Dean of York in July and will take up his post in November.
Michael said:
“I was ordained in 1983 and worked in parish ministry for 30 years before moving to York Minster as pastor.
“It has been a huge privilege to minister here for almost ten years with a great community and some fantastic colleagues.
“I am pleased to have been able to contribute a little to the life of this great cathedral and look forward to welcoming Dean Dominic this autumn and working alongside him before I retire next year – I am sure that this great church is in safe hands with him at the helm.
“Having been a full time priest for almost 40 years I am looking forward to doing some new things including spending time writing and also cycling around Yorkshire and beyond.”
Earlier this summer, the Dean of Southwark, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn, announced his intention to retire in 2023 following the 40th anniversary of his ordination as Deacon.
In his letter to the Bishop of Southwark, The Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, the Dean said,
“I wanted to give you a year’s notice of this in order to allow you to begin the process of identifying and appointing my successor and for the new Cathedral Chapter to do the work it will need to do in order to be in a position to welcome a new Dean. It has been the most enormous privilege to serve the people of God and lead the worship of Almighty God for all these years but especially from this position.
“There is a great deal I can do in a year. Be assured, I won’t coast towards retirement. It will be heart-breaking leaving, but the time is right and I am sure you will find somebody wonderful to serve this wonderful community.”
