Llandaff Diocese welcomes new Dean
Hundreds of people packed into Llandaff Cathedral to welcome the new Dean of Llandaff on Sunday (September 8).
Dr Jason Bray was formally installed as Dean at a special Evensong service attended by representatives from across the Diocese and beyond.
The service also marked an historic occasion. As his first official act, Dean Jason installed two senior choristers as Dean’s Scholars including, for the time in the history of the Cathedral Choir, a girl chorister.
Dean Jason entered the Cathedral as part of a procession which included the Bishop of Llandaff, Mary Stallard, the Dean of St Davids, and the Dean of Newport, as well as the Archdeacons of Llandaff and Margam.
The deputy Lord Mayor of Cardiff and consort, Helen Lloyd Jones and Sir Richard Lloyd Jones, KCB, and the Deputy Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan, Mr Mel Jehu, MBE, were also in attendance at the service.
Following the declarations, where Dean Jason swore “to pay true and canonical obedience to the Bishop of Llandaff, and her successors, in all things lawful and honest,” the Archdeacon of Llandaff and Monmouth installed him as Dean of the Cathedral and Leader of Llandaff Cathedral Ministry Area.
Applause resounded around the Cathedral as the Bishop announced, “My brothers and sisters, we joyfully celebrate the arrival of our new Dean.”
In her sermon, Bishop Mary paid tribute to Jason, saying, “I am sure that the Cathedral community and the Diocese will very quickly get to know, and love, Jason and come to recognise what a wonderful gift he is to our Diocese.
“Jason’s faith and spirituality are key to who he is. He is a Benedictine oblate, and the values associated with St Benedict of prayer, and work, stability and obedience, service offered in love are very clearly present in Jason.
“I am so glad and grateful that Jason said a ‘Magnificat YES!’ to the call to come here as our Dean, and I hope that we, here in Llandaff will be committed in our part to treasuring and encouraging Jason and his family, giving our very best to them too.
"For it is surely in the sincere offering of all our gifts, in whatever way God calls us, that we witness faithfully to the risen Christ, and that we play our part in God’s work of healing and reconciliation to which we are all called, and through which we might offer hope and transforming love to others.”
In his first official act as Dean of Llandaff, Dean Jason admitted Gwenan Hughes and Alex Bird as Dean’s Scholars in the Cathedral choir. Canon Precentor, Ian Yemm also admitted Austin Dobson into the office of Canon’s Scholar in the choir.
Dean Jason is originally from Merthyr Tydfil, and he has served his entire ordained ministry in the Church in Wales since his ordination by Bishop Rowan Williams in 1997. Other than during his time at university and training for ministry, he has always lived in Wales.
For the past nine years, Jason has served as Vicar of St Giles’ Wrexham, which is part of the Major Churches Network and is Wales’ largest mediaeval parish church. He was also a Canon of St Asaph Cathedral. As a Benedictine oblate, Jason values the importance of community and hospitality in prayer and church life across the Anglican spectrum.
Dean Jason is married to Laura, and they have two grown-up sons, Thomas and Benedict, and three cats – one of whom considers himself ideally suited as a candidate for the post of Cathedral Cat.
We are delighted to welcome Dean Jason and his family to Llandaff, and are excited for this new chapter.