Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Season
with Canon Wendy Wilby
Canon Wendy Wilby was ordained deacon in 1990, followed in 1994 by priesthood. After the luxury of 2 curacies, she served for 7 years in a dual role as priest-in-charge of a North Yorkshire Dales village and chaplain of a CofE Aided High School. Having taken on the role of Rural Dean of Harrogate, she then moved to West Yorkshire to become Vicar of Halifax, a town centre and civic ministry and eventually became Rural Dean again.
Wendy moved to Bristol with her composer husband, Philip, at the end of 2006. As a member of the Chapter of Bristol Cathedral and Precentor she headed up the music and liturgy department and took day-to-day responsibility for all arrangements surrounding the Cathedral’s worship. Wendy was the first woman Canon Residentiary to come into the Bristol Chapter, and has witnessed a huge change in the gender balance amongst those who help to lead the worship in the Cathedral both musically and liturgically. As precentor, Wendy felt privileged to occupy one of the most delightful jobs in the CofE! She also took over the role of Dean of Women’s Ministry for Bristol Diocese in June 2011.
Since her ‘retirement’ back in Yorkshire with Phil, living in their converted windmill, Wendy joined the team of Chaplains here at Holy Rood House and also soon found herself serving at Ripon Cathedral as Acting Precentor. This service has now come to an end and we hope Wendy will soon have time to enjoy working in their garden and caring for her hens! We are so pleased that Wendy is once again taking our Advent Retreat.
