Bishop Hugh has written this letter to be included in March editions of parish magazines.
Dear friends
It has been 3 weeks since my installation service at the Cathedral, and I have been blown away by the warmth and generosity of the welcome that you have all shown me. From rural church communities and meals in the local pub; to worship in the oldest church building in Worcester, where children told us how to live ‘in heaven on earth’; to visits to primary and secondary schools, where I was asked questions as diverse as ‘What is your favourite Tesco’s meal deal?’ and ‘What is the place of religion in politics?’. I’ve had a morning spent with clergy and LLMs on our response to the climate crisis; a lunch with our wonderful retired clergy; an evening with ordinands training for ministry; and important conversations about how we build a diocese that puts children and young people at the centre of everything.
All of this (and that’s just a few of the highlights!) has given me so many opportunities to listen and learn, and to start to get to know this wonderful diocese.
And there’s still so much for me still to discover; so many people to meet, churches to join for worship and hopes and worries for me to hear. If you’d like to see what I’m discovering as I get out and about, I’m putting out a brief video every week or so, and you can find it on Facebook or Instagram.
In all of this, the thing that has struck me most, is the deep faithfulness of the church across the Diocese. In all the joys, and in the midst of challenges too – and I’m hearing about them as well – there are people serving their schools, churches, workplaces and communities with astonishing generosity and commitment.
It has been such a privilege to start getting to know you all. I look forward to meeting many more people, churches and communities in the months to come – and do please invite me along.
Please keep praying for me, as I continue to pray for you.
God bless
Hugh
