Cytûn, Churches Together in Wales, celebrated the historic enthronement of the Most Reverend Cherry Vann as the 15th Archbishop of Wales at a national service held at St Woolos Cathedral, Newport, on Saturday, 8th November.
Archbishop Cherry, who was elected by the Electoral College of the Church in Wales in July, made history as the first woman to serve as Archbishop of Wales. She continues in her role as Bishop of Monmouth, a position she has held since her consecration in 2020.
The service saw representatives from churches and faith communities across Wales gather to witness this significant milestone in Welsh church history. Dr Cynan Llwyd, Secretary General of Cytûn, played a key role in the ceremony by introducing the Archbishop to church and faith leaders from across Wales.
Speaking about the occasion, Dr Cynan Llwyd said:
“It was a great joy and privilege to introduce Archbishop Cherry to members of the wider ecumenical and inter-faith family as part of this historic service. This moment represents not only a significant step for the Church in Wales, but also for the broader Christian community across our nation.”
The enthronement service featured rich Welsh and ecumenical traditions, including the use of the Monmouth Archbishops’ Bible and the Welsh-language Kyrie composed by Paul Mealor, which was sung at the Coronation of King Charles III in 2023.
In her remarks following her election in July, Archbishop Cherry emphasised her commitment to healing and reconciliation, stating:
“The first thing I shall need to do is to ensure that the issues which have been raised in the last six months are properly addressed and that I work to bring healing and reconciliation, and to build a really good level of trust across the Church and the communities the Church serves.”
The membership of Cytun wishes well to the new Archbishop and upholds her and the Anglican Community in Wales in its prayers at this time.