A SENIOR cleric from the Church of England will be consecrated as a Bishop of the Church in Wales in January.

The Venerable Cherry Vann, who has served as Archdeacon of Rochdale in the Diocese of Manchester for the past 11 years, will be consecrated as the eleventh Bishop of Monmouth on Saturday, January 25, having been elected by the Electoral College of the Church in Wales in September.

The service of consecration will be held at 2.30pm at Brecon Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, who is also Bishop of Swansea and Brecon.

The Sacred Synod, a ceremony to confirm the Bishop’s election, will take place earlier in the month - on Sunday, January 5 - also at Brecon Cathedral, during the public service of choral evensong.

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On the day of the consecration, Bishop-designate Cherry will be led into the Cathedral by a long procession which will include clergy, bishops, diocesan registrars and chancellors, canons, and members of the Church’s Governing Body and Electoral College.

The new Bishop will be anointed with holy oil and will be presented with the symbols of her office: a bishop’s episcopal ring, a pectoral cross and mitre, as well as a Bible and a pastoral staff.

The address at the service will be given by the Revd Robert Lawrence, a member of The Society of St Francis from the Diocese of Newcastle.

Archbishop John said: “I am looking forward enormously to working with Cherry. She has wide experience, great gifts and a huge amount to contribute to the life, not only to the Diocese of Monmouth, but also to the wider Church in Wales.”

Bishop-designate Cherry said: “I am very much looking forward to my consecration and to responding to God's call to serve the people of Monmouth Diocese as their Bishop. I ask for your prayers as I move and prepare to take up this new role.”

Following her consecration, Bishop Cherry will be enthroned at Newport Cathedral a week later on Saturday, February 1, at 11am. This will also be a ticket only service.