Friday (29 September) saw family, friends and colleagues gather at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the consecration of Paul Davies as the sixth Bishop of Dorking.
Following the announcement in June, the consecration service marks the official moment Paul takes on the title of the Rt Revd and begins his role as Bishop of Dorking and suffragan bishop to the Bishop of Guildford.
The service at Westminster Abbey was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. Alongside Bishop Paul, the service included the ordination of two other former Archdeacons, Ian Bishop and Adam Atkinson, as Bishops of Thetford and Bradwell, respectively.
After the service, Bishop Paul said, “I am deeply grateful to all those who attended the service and who have prayed for me. I’m now excited about getting stuck into my new job! I shall have three priorities as the episcopal champion for children and young people, vocations, and the environment. It will take some time to work out how I can most effectively add value to each of these extremely important and urgent agendas, that will involve working with many of you.”
Paul will be officially welcomed and commissioned at Guildford Cathedral this Sunday (8 October) at 6pm. All are welcome and you can book seats on the cathedral website.
Bishop Paul succeeds Bishop Jo Bailey-Wells who took up the role of the Bishop for Episcopal Ministry in early 2023.
Photo credit: Dean and Chapter of Westminster