Rev Jen 10 Diocese of St Albans
Rev Jen 10 Diocese of St Albans. Since AD 679 the Church in England has been divided up into areas called dioceses, led by a bishop based in a cathedral. Previous bishops of St Albans include the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Dr Robert Runcie.
1. St Alban’s Diocese is named after Britain’s first Christian martyr. St Alban was executed by the Romans for sheltering a priest. Pilgrims have visited his shrine (in the cathedral) for 1,700 years.
2. St Albans Cathedral was an Abbey Church dating back to Norman times. It was built using bricks from the Roman settlement of Verulamium.
3. The Diocese of St Albans covers the counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and the N. part of the London Borough of Barnet. It includes large urban communities, like Luton and Bedford, traditional market towns and rural villages.
4. There are over 400 churches in our diocese – ‘a Christian presence in every community.’
5. The diocese is divided into three Archdeaconries (Bedford, Hertford and St Albans) led by an Archdeacon. These are divided into 20 deaneries (groups of parishes).
6. Each deanery has a Rural (or Area) Dean and a Synod, chaired by an elected lay chair. Deanery representatives are elected to the Diocesan and National Synods.
7. The diocese has 37 Church of England schools, including 32 academies. Most of the schools are primary (including St Mary’s Aston and Stapleford), six are secondary.
8. The Diocese of St Albans is relatively new – until 1877 it was part of the large Diocese of Rochester.
9. Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith is the tenth Bishop of St Albans, appointed in 2009. He wrote ‘Saints & Pilgrims in the Diocese of St Albans’ in 2013 and gave each church a copy.
10. The Diocesan Vision is Living God’s Love – Going deeper into God, Making News Disciples, Transforming Communities. There is a special Living God’s Love Prayer.
You can find out more on www.stalbansdiocese.org/about-us/