Remembering bishops of bygone ages

The Enthronement of Bishop Dorrien reminded us of Bishops of St Davids of the past, recalls Mari James St Davids Cathedral Library Development Officer.

February’s Enthronement was a historic event and some elements of the service that Bishop Dorrien chose gave an especially strong sense of continuity with past bishops of our historic cathedral and diocese.

The Bible on which Bishop Dorrien chose to take his Enthronement Oath was the Bible on which Bishop Basil Jones took his in September 1874 – 150 years ago. The Bible is in Greek, the original language of much of the New Testament. Bishop Basil was responsible for much of the cathedral as we see it today. Even before he was Bishop, he was enthusiastically dedicated to restoring the cathedral after severe dilapidation during the Reformation and the Civil War. The book that he jointly authored in 1856 with architect E.A. Freeman - The History and Antiquities of St Davids - chronicles the partly ruined state of the building, what could be done to restore its glory and why it was worth doing. Bishop Basil would probably approve of us now selling, exclusively, facsimile copies of that 1856 seminal book.

There are at least two other Bishops of St Davids who are remembered this year – or more accurately one and a half Bishops. In the 12th century, Gerald of Wales was elected Bishop by the Chapter of the Cathedral, similar to the Electoral College of the Church in Wales. But after that the process went less smoothly for Gerald. On 23rd March 1188 he was in St Davids as part of his great journey around Wales recruiting for the Third Crusade. On that date this year there will be a talk on Gerald’s important writings and also a dramatisation – Thrice to Rome - of his three attempts before the Papal Court in Rome to claim his Bishopric, even Archbishopric, of St Davids.

Another builder Bishop of St Davids will be remembered on Wednesday June 12th . On this date in 1328, Bishop Gower was consecrated. The Cathedral and Cadw are working together to showcase some of Gower’s spectacular building works, including the original walls of the cathedral city, the only remaining gatehouse at Porth-y-Twr, the Cathedral’s Thomas Becket Chapel and Cathedral Library above, the pulpitum screen and the magnificent Bishops Palace itself.