Brecon Cathedral was the setting yesterday (Sunday 15 November 2020) for the commissioning of the first three Anna Chaplains in Wales.
The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Reverend John Davies, who is also the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, conducted the ceremony at the morning Eucharist service which, due to restrictions at present, was with only limited numbers, socially distanced and strictly monitored for test and trace.
The Revd Sally Rees, Anna Chaplaincy Lead for Wales, was joined by the Revd Petrina Lodge and the Revd Sue Rumbelow. Sally said: 'It was a wonderful service of commissioning this morning. I am so happy to be "official". It was also really good to be commissioned with Trina and Sue. So there are three Anna Chaplains now in Wales! We were each able to have two people attending with us to witness and support us. The Revd Gill Todd was also there in her role as priest at the cathedral.'
Sally reported that Archbishop John used his sermon to illustrate the Anna Chaplaincy model for older people's ministry drawing on lessons from, among other texts, the parable of the talents from Matthew 25.
A photograph of the occasion was taken after the service at the only point when Trina, Sally and Sue 'were very temporarily allowed to remove our masks'.