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WELL DONE, WELCOME AND GOD SPEED

The Very Revd June Osborne, Dean (Tuesday 1st November 2005)

This is a busy month for the diocese in the Cathedral. Right at the beginning, at our All Saints Day Eucharist, the Bishop will celebrate some of the dedicated servants of the diocese by awarding them a “St Aldhelm medal”. Like the Cathedral our parish churches and diocesan life rely, almost entirely on volunteers and this new award honours some who have given unstinting support over many years. A week later there will be a diocesan confirmation here, reflecting that right through the year members of the diocesan family choose to come to the Cathedral for that moment of decision and blessing. And then at the end of the month, on Friday 27th, Bishop Peter will say his goodbyes to the diocese and the Ramsbury area at a Cathedral Evensong. Since the inception of the Church of England Dioceses and their Cathedrals have enjoyed a historical and structural independence. There is no financial reliance between them, Cathedrals have a separate system of governance and in Salisbury as in most places the Bishop does not appoint the Dean. But that does not mean that the diocese comes to us as if customers using a conveniently large venue. On the contrary, our joint life is integrated and symbiotic. It so happens that both the diocese and the Cathedral have been reviewing their core purpose and sense of vision – what do we want the future to look like – in the course of this year. The diocese has dismantled some of its central synodical bodies and redirected its resources into teams working more closely to parish needs within the Areas of Sherborne and Ramsbury. In a time when resources are becoming scarce finance and policy are being tied more closely together and there are new ways of working to be developed. All this is the result of a focus on “learning, connecting and resourcing”, the path to mature Christian disciplines. The Cathedral is in the process of developing its own plan and sense of mission which will be launched next year. Yet at every level we try to complement and support our diocesan partners. Which is why it’s the Cathedral as well as the parishes who will say “well done” to the Aldhelm ‘saints’, “welcome” to the newly confirmed and “God speed” to our friend and colleague, Bishop Peter Hullah.

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