Alison Vincent receives Wulfstan Cross

The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge has presented Alison Vincent, who has recently retired after 47 years working for the Diocese of Worcester, with the Cross of St. Wulfstan, an award thatpays tribute to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the life of the Church in the Diocese of Worcester.

Alison joined the Diocesan Office as an Office Junior in July 1972 it was only her second ever job andwhen she retired just before Christmas she had spent over two-thirds of her life working for the Diocese of Worcester. Alison worked her way up to be Office Manager and during her time in the Diocese, she worked with four different Bishops of Worcester and five different Bishops of Dudley! Technology has also changed completely since she started initially she worked with a typewriter and Gestetner copier.

Alison lives in Malvern and is on the electoral roll of Holy Trinity Church. She said:

I was completely shocked and very honoured when Bishop John announced that I would be this years recipient of the Wulfstan Cross. I've had such a happy time working at the Diocese of Worcester, with lovely colleagues and some great friendships. I feel very blessed to have found a job which I enjoyed enough to stay so long.

Bishop John said: Alisons record of service to the Diocese of Worcester is an outstanding one. I am delighted to give her this award, which recognises the great debt of gratitude we owe her.

The award was presented to Alison during the morning service in the Cathedral on Sunday, which was the feast day of St Wulfstan.

Diocesan Secretary, John Preston, said:

It is incredible that Alisons commitment and dedication to the Diocese stretches back over nearly 50 years. Throughout that time, she has served parishes in a wide variety of ways, particularly enabling millions of pounds of Gift Aid to be claimed for them, and I'm so pleased that she has received this award in honour of her work.

St. Wulfstan / Wulstan lived c. 1008 - 1095. He served as Bishop of Worcester under the last two Saxon kings and the first two Norman kings. After the Norman Conquest he was responsible for the dismantling of the old Saxon cathedral and the building of a new one, of which the crypt is the main part still surviving today. He was at once venerated as a saint by the people of Worcester, though he was not formally canonized until 1203. Alongside the tomb of St. Oswald, his shrine was a place of pilgrimage until the Reformation. Wulfstan found a special place in local people's affections. He took his pastoral duties very seriously, caring for the poor and preaching widely. He was famed for his healing and prophetic abilities. He even preached against the slave trade in Bristol, then part of his Diocese, and thankfully managed to end this practise for along while.

ENDS

The Diocese of Worcester is one of 42 dioceses in the Church of England. It covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in the County of Worcestershire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south east Wolverhampton and Sandwell.

From: Sam Setchell, Press Officer for the Diocese of Worcester and the Bishop of Worcester.

Tel: 01905 20537 Mobile: 07852 302516
Email: ssetchell@cofe-worcester.org.uk