Hundreds of people from across Wales attended the special service to consecrate the new Bishop of St Davids on Saturday.
The packed service at St Deiniol’s Cathedral in Bangor was also watched online as Bishop Dorrien Davies was anointed and received the symbols of the office of bishop.
Bishop Dorrien’s consecration followed his election in October as the 130th Bishop of St Davids, the diocese which covers the three west Wales counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.
The service was held in Bangor, the seat of the current Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, who is also the Bishop of Bangor. Bishop Dorrien was anointed with holy oil and presented with the symbols of office: a bishop’s episcopal ring, a pectoral cross, a mitre, a Bible and a pastoral staff.
In his address, Archbishop Andrew urged Bishop Dorrien to craft ‘an extravagant love’ for Jesus, for the church and for the world. He compared the role of bishops and the church to the BBC reality show, The Traitors; as that show had gripped the nation, so too should they.
“Our task is to capture the imagination of our church and nation afresh," he said. "Less with dark intrigue, more with exciting curiosity. Less with murky stuff and more with endless possibilities of what life in Christ might offer.” He challenged Bishop Dorrien to ‘live, love and lead in such a way that has us on the edge of our seats’.
Bishop Dorrien said: “To be elected the 130th Bishop of St Davids is an honour and a challenge. I look forward to the future, thankful for the prayers, help and support of a great many people.
“However, the reassurance of God’s guiding love and grace is with me, with hope and joy. I ask for people’s continual prayer as I begin this new chapter in my ministry.”
A new music composition was sung by the choir as the symbols of office were presented to Bishop Dorrien by his fellow Welsh diocesan bishops. Composed by the Cathedral music director, Joe Cooper, it was a setting of a sixteenth century Welsh poem by Dafydd Trefor about the consecration of Deiniol, the first Bishop of Bangor, and his retreat in Pembrokeshire.
Bishops from the other Anglican churches in the UK - the Church of England, the Church of Ireland and the Scottish Episcopal Church – also attended the service.
Next weekend, Bishop Dorrien will be enthroned Bishop of St Davids at St Davids Cathedral. He will be installed in the Bishop’s chair and also welcomed by representatives from across St Davids Diocese. The service takes place on February 3, starting at 2.30pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel