AFTER nearly 60 years as Newport's cathedral, St Woolos has moved to incorporate the city into its name.

From this month it will be promoted as Newport Cathedral King and Confessor on all advertisements, note paper, letterheads and orders of service.

But reverend Mark Soady said this doesn't constitute a change of name. "It won't be changing, but we will mainly be called Newport Cathedral to allow the cathedral to be more closely linked with the city. The official name will still be St Woolos, but the move will bring us in line with many other cathedrals.

"It is quite common for a cathedral to go by the name of the city in which it is in. For example, the cathedral in Hereford is known as Hereford Cathedral but its proper title is Saint Mary the Virgin. All cathedrals are named after a saint."

Reverend Soady said that a consultation had been held with various groups in the city and the dean and chapter to find how the cathedral could best serve the city moving into the future.

"There are many reasons why Newport became a city, but the university and cathedral are major factors. The university is now known as Newport University, so we decided to follow suit and link the cathedral more closely with the city," added Reverend Soady.