October 2024

A Gift to the Church

I write this the day after the funeral of the Rt Revd Mark Santer, former Principal of Westcott House Theological College, and Bishop of Birmingham, theologian, and pastor. Mark ended his life and ministry in this diocese, with permission to officiate he continued to serve these last few years in the parish church of St Aldhelm’s, Branksome. His funeral at the church was a wonderful celebration of a life well lived, of his rich ministry and the gift of friendship which so were in receipt of.

We have just under four hundred active retired clergy in the Salisbury diocese. Priests and deacons who have not only served for many years in stipendiary or self-supporting ministry in dioceses right across the Church of England and overseas, but who are willing to continue to offer their talents and experience to us here. Bishop Andrew and I with our secretaries manage the renewal of their permission to officiate every three years, and new safeguarding training and DBS checks are part of this. This is a tremendous commitment and a gift to the church for which we must be truly thankful. We also, as bishops, meet all those retired clergy moving in to make sure they feel welcomed and supported with ongoing support offered through our network of deanery retirement officers, and diocesan retired clergy officer.

Many of our retired clergy are involved in active ministry in their local church, as well as taking funerals and weddings; others offer spiritual direction, mentoring and coaching or act as reviewers for our ministry review scheme or as deanery and diocesan retirement officers, regularly staying connected with those with PTO and retired clergy who are inactive. This is all a very real reflection of the fact that God continues to use us in many and varied ways throughout our life. Indeed, Bishop Mark preached his final sermon on Easter Sunday at the age of eighty-six!

1st October is the International Day of Older Persons. A day to celebrate the gifts of all those who continue to show us the love of God through their generosity, positivity, and humility. If you include yourself here, thank you!

Bishop Karen

September 2024

Welcome to this most wistful month of the year, when we sense the shift of summer into autumn, notice the mellowing light and take stock before starting again. I do hope there has been plenty of sunshine for you between the showers!

July 2024

From my bedroom window I have a great view of both Preston Hill and Hambledon Hill. The Wessex Ridgeway Path passes across them, which spurred me, during my period of study leave earlier in the year, to walk that entire path from Marlborough to Lyme Regis. It took me across many new horizons, across the Wiltshire Downs, around Salisbury Plain and down through the Marshwood Vale to the coast. It was a great walk albeit very boggy in places given the February rain.

June 2024

This month marks two years since my service of inauguration in the Cathedral and so its two years since I first ordained people deacon and priest – a powerful and humbling experience.

May 2024

May is exam month for my youngest daughter, who is undergoing her ‘A’ Levels this summer – the last of our three to pass through that ordeal. I still recall (as I’m sure many of you do too) the sense of elation – almost disbelief – when these were over and a new chapter of life could begin. Somewhere in my loft, I still have the ring file I flung into the air when it was all over!

April 2024

At this time of year, we are beckoned outside after a long, cold and often wet winter. Spring has sprung and all creation calls us to go outside, to tend to our gardens and to admire the new life around us.

March 2024

A century ago, the great journalist and Catholic provocateur G.K.Chesterton wrote a wonderful essay entitled ‘The Priest of Spring’ in which he considered the integration of the Christian seasons with the natural year – and referred to the “armies of the intellect who will fight to the end on whether Easter is to be congratulated on fitting in with the spring or the spring on fitting in with Easter”.

February 2024

It won’t have escaped many of us that this year, Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day. This may feel like an uncomfortable union.

November 2023

Praying for the People God Knows We Need. This autumn it has been a joy to institute and licence a record number of clergy to new posts and as well as being the beginning of new ministry for individuals, communities and parishes, these services represent the culmination of months of careful work.

December 2023

In my former parish, there were various experiments we made to make the most of the unique atmosphere of preparation and excitement accompanying Advent.

October 2023

October is one of those months when the leaves begin to change and fall, and somewhat comical excuses come into conversations about why things don’t work. Leaves on the line may well be a technical problem for the railways, but we all know it also means, somewhat ironically, why is it somethings just don’t work as they should.