On Sunday, September 17, Bishop Sarah Macneil advised the Cathedral congregation that the new Dean, the Revd Canon Dr Gregory Jenks, would be commencing in his role this coming week.
Canon Jenks arrives in the Parish on Tuesday this week and will initially focus mainly on the leadership of the ordination retreat for the Reverend Cathy Ridd, who is to be ordained Priest at the Cathedral next Saturday. He will preside and preaching at the morning services in Grafton next Sunday.
Due to a recent cancer diagnosis, there had been some uncertainty about just how soon the new Dean would be able to commence following the departure of the Canon Mark Sibly, who has served as Acting Dean for the past three months. Canon Sibly completed his time as Acting Dean on September 17, and will be commencing a new locum ministry in the Parish of Byron Bay this week. His first Sunday in the Bay is September 24.
The Dean-elect has been serving as a locum priest at Byron Bay since returning from St George's College in Jerusalem earlier this year.
Rather than delay commencing as our Dean until after this planned cancer surgery, Dr Jenks has accepted the invitation of Bishop Sarah to serve as our Acting Dean until such time as we can arrange for his installation as the Eighth Dean of Grafton and his commissioning as the Rector of the Parish of Grafton.
The installation was originally scheduled for September 28, but was postponed when it seemed likely that his medical treatment would prevent Dr Jenks being with us on that date. A new date for his installation as our Dean will be confirmed once the schedule for his surgery and recuperation is known.
In the meantime the Cathedral congregation has an earlier opportunity to get to know their new parish priest and Dean, and at the same time Canon Jenks can begin forming pastoral relationships with the congregation and the wider community.
For details of the four week preaching series on Philippians that will mark the commencement of our new Dean's ministry with us, please see the separate story on our web site.