Prayers: Thomas Burgess (1837), Bishop of St Davids and Teacher of the Faith
19 February
God of town and country,
we give you thanks for Thomas Burgess, who was bishop of St Davids.
We thank you that he founded a university college in Lampeter to train clergy to minister in Wales
and established a venerable principle that clergy should be educated and informed to feed the sheep.
We also give thanks for his environmental concern,
which led him to work for the foundation of the Royal Veterinary College,
to improve the care and treatment of sick animals.
And we give thanks for his diligent attention to the arts in Wales,
which moved him to support the Cambrian societies and the Eisteddfodau.
We give thanks for his attention to so many fields of endeavour,
because he saw your beauty in all things.
We pray that you will inspire us to seek you in all walks of life and in every creature,
and to work for improvement where we find fault,
so that we all may rejoice in the life you have given us,
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Collect 164
Almighty Father,
whose Son commanded us to pray
that labourers might be sent into the harvest:
grant that, following the example of your servant Thomas,
we may provide of our substance
for training those who will minister
in the name of him
who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns for ever and ever.