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Welcome to our new Animator of Community Life
The Dean and Wardens are very pleased to announce that Malcolm Read has accepted our invitation to serve as the Cathedral parish’s first Animator of Community Life.
 
Cathedrals have a particular responsibility to serve the whole diocese, to be a gathering place for momentous civic occasions, to provide ecclesial leadership and support to less well-resourced parishes, to hold up the musical, visual and dramatic arts as a place of intersection with the divine, and to advocate on matters dear to the heart of the whole Church. But within every Cathedral congregation there is a nucleus of people who consider the Cathedral their parish home. These are the people who look to the Cathedral to create and sustain a sense of Christian community amongst friends; they are the folk who provide hospitality; who carry the bulk of our financial obligations; who step up to the plate when we need volunteers; and who expect the clergy and others to know their names and their stories.
 
Tending to our community life – supporting ministries already in existence, such as the Welcoming Ministry, the Walking Group, and “In Conversation” – and inviting newcomers and parishioners into our shared work and ministry will be part of Malcolm’s role. While we don’t expect him to run bazaars, garage sales, or pancake suppers, he will be the person who ensures that these or other events are woven into our parish life.  We know that he will continue to exercise his particular gift for welcoming newcomers and drawing them into Cathedral life. And we are grateful for his willingness to help us deepen our sense of community.
 
Malcolm will become part of the staff team in order to fulfill this role, although he will serve in a volunteer capacity.