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Anglican

Anglicans form the family of Christians closely related to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst tracing their inheritance back to Christ and the earliest Christians and to the ancient Roman Catholic church, the sixteenth century Reformation was a crucial moment for Anglicanism.

Bishop

‘Bishop’ comes from the Greek word for ‘overseer’. So a bishop is a senior Christian minister authorised to have oversight for God’s people. As well as duties given to deacons and priests, bishops confirm and ordain.

Ecumenical

The Christian Church is divided due to different interpretations of the faith and different religious practices. The ecumenical movement promotes dialogue and understanding between Christians and works for visible unity.

Episcopal

‘Episcopal’ refers to the role or ministry of a bishop. So an episcopal church is one in which oversight is entrusted to a bishop. Like many others, the Church in Wales is an episcopal church.

Eucharist

‘Eucharist’ comes from the Greek word for ‘thanksgiving’. At the Eucharist the Church remembers Jesus’ last supper where he gave bread and wine to be his body and blood, a sign of his saving love. See also Holy Communion.

Holy Communion

At Holy Communion blessed bread and wine is shared, by which we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation gives thanks for Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection and his continuing presence. See also Eucharist.

Prayer

Prayer sustains our human relationship with God and may involve words (formal or informal) or be silent. Prayer can involve adoration (‘I love you’), confession (‘sorry’), thanksgiving and supplication (‘please’).

Theological

‘Theology’ means literally ‘words about God’. Christian theology involves our trying to understand and explain what God has revealed about himself through Scripture. This work is aided by the writings of past and present theologians and human reason.

Home Newsfeed Celtic Bishops Conference Held in St Davids

Celtic Bishops Conference Held in St Davids

St Davids news Posted: 1 May 2026

Full names of bishops pictured available below

This week, St Davids hosted bishops from our sister churches in Scotland and Ireland for a Celtic Bishops conference – an opportunity for bishops to meet and strengthen the ties between our provinces. Bishops from the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Ireland met for dialogues on contextual ministry, ecumenism and the roles of the global and local Church. The conference meets every two years, strengthening relationships through worship, prayer and Bible study, fellowship, and shared discussion and reflection. Rooted in the historic and cultural ties between the Celtic churches, these meetings provide a space for the bishops to meet away from formal synodical structures and to engage with one another as fellow bishops. The three churches rotate the hosting of the meetings: 2026 is the Church in Wales’s turn to host, with St Davids being chosen as the venue. It will be the turn of the Scottish Episcopal Church to host the next Celtic Bishops Conference. The conference offers the opportunity for honest conversation about theology, mission, ministry and the contemporary challenges facing the Churches within their distinct national and provincial contexts. They seek to encourage collegiality and deepen a shared sense of vocation within the wider Anglican Communion, while respecting the particular history and character of each Church.

Each day of the conference began with a Eucharist in which the Primates of the three Celtic provinces each presided on different days, using the Eucharistic rites of their respective provinces. The four-day programme had a full agenda of discussions, starting with three sessions titled ‘A view of the province’, from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, followed by a session on Ecumenism in Wales. The sessions of the meeting took place at Tŷ’r Pererin – St Davids Cathedral’s education and pilgrimage centre. The meeting each day began with Bible study led by the Revd Dr Jordan Hillebert, Director of Formation for Ministry at St. Padarn’s Institute. Day two focussed on the rise of the Far Right, which gave the bishops the opportunity to explore Biblical interpretation, political theology, and the challenges this phenomenon poses for Church leaders. They also had a session on the relationships between church and state in the context of devolution, touching on forthcoming elections and political matters such as assisted dying and changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. On the third day, they looked at the life of the Anglican Communion today – considering how communion is sustained amid difference, and what this means for bishops within a global Church. There were also sessions on safeguarding and clergy standards, and in the evening, an address from the Right Revd Dr Jo Bailey Wells, Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. She delivered a session exploring the life of the Anglican Communion in modern times. This invited those gathered to consider how communion is sustained amid difference, and what this means for bishops within a global Church. Finally, the bishops considered recent developments within the Roman Catholic Church under Pope Leo XIV, their theological, pastoral and ecumenical significance, and what they may signal for the direction of the Roman Catholic Church under his papacy.

Participating bishops also enjoyed a tour of St Davids Cathedral and a visit to St Non’s well and chapel, which is said to mark the place of the birth of St David, the patron saint of Wales. They also met with students from Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, who served them welshcakes and spoke to them about their experience of attending a Church in Wales school.

The Most Revd Cherry Vann, Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Monmouth, says: “It was a real joy to host the Celtic bishops here in Wales. The fellowship is so precious – worshipping together at St Davids, studying Scripture together and generally supporting one another in our ministries.”

The Most Revd Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church & Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, says: “Once again the gathering of the Celtic bishops has given us time to pray, worship and study together. It has been wonderful to meet in St Davids and as always a joy to meet with friends old and new from the Celtic churches of Ireland and Wales. The Scottish Episcopal Church cherishes this relationship and gives thanks to God for it.”

The Most Revd John McDowell, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and Metropolitan, reflected that “to be at the margins, is to be at the centre of the work of the Church. The biennial meeting of the Celtic Bishops of the Anglican provinces of these islands, in Wales, has been a means of encouragement and of building up – of mutual giving and receiving – in the work of the Gospel and in our apostolic ministry. Through the study of the Scriptures and common worship, and in discussing the current issues facing the Communion in general we have known also the presence of the Holy Spirit. We give thanks to God that we have been brought together in this way.”

The Right Revd Jo Bailey Wells, Deputy Secretary of the Anglican Communion said: “The fellowship here runs deep, served by the shared Celtic roots. Their programme and bible studies have been shaped around the four marks of the Church - one, holy, catholic and apostolic – and I am so grateful to have shared in this briefly, bringing and exchanging news from around the Anglican Communion. Their laughter also runs deep”.

Full names of bishops pictured

Top row (L-R): Bishop Adrian Wilkinson (Bishop of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory; CofI), Bishop Andrew Swift (Bishop of Brechin; SEC), Bishop Nick Bundock (Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway; SEC), Bishop George Davison (Bishop of Connor; CofI) Bishop Andrew Forster (Bishop of Derry & Raphoe; CofI), Bishop Michael Burrows (Bishop of Tuam, Killala & Achonry; CofI), Bishop John Lomas (Bishop of Swansea & Brecon; CinW), Bishop Gregory Cameron (Bishop of St. Asaph; CinW), Bishop David Railton (Bishop of Argyll & The Isles; SEC).

Bottom row (L-R): Bishop Ian Ellis (Bishop of Clogher; CofI), Bishop Anne Dyer (Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney; SEC), Archbishop Michael Jackson (Archbishop of Dublin & Glendalough; CofI), Archbishop Cherry Vann (Archbishop of Wales; CinW), Archbishop John McDowell (Archbishop of Armagh; CofI), Primus Mark Strange (Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church; SEC), Bishop Mary Stallard (Bishop of Llandaff; CinW), Bishop Pat Storey (Bishop of Meath & Kildare; CofI), Bishop Dorrien Davies (Bishop of St Davids; CinW).