Diocesan Registry

Information on the Diocesan Registry, its staff, and the advice they can give to parishes.

The Registry provides the Registrar of the Diocese and Legal Secretary to the Archbishop of York, Registrar of the Consistory Court of the Diocese and Legal Adviser of the Diocesan Synod.

Louise Connacher 

Diocesan Registrar

Staff in the Registry:
  • Deputy Registrar – Jessica Gray
  • Faculty Secretary – Alice Bracken
  • Registry Secretary – Simone Bolton

The Registrar and staff are available to give advice to:
  • the Archbishop, suffragan bishops and archdeacons of the Diocese
  • authorised clergy (stipendiary and non-stipendiary) in the Diocese
  • chairman and secretaries of boards, councils and committees of the Diocese
  • area deans and lay deans of deanery synods in the Diocese
  • churchwardens and secretaries of PCCs in the Diocese
  • on legal matters properly arising in connection with the discharge of their ecclesiastical synodical and parochial offices.

The areas of expertise of the Registry include:
  • Ordination and clergy appointments
  • Baptism, marriage, burial and cremation
  • Canon law of the Church of England
  • Measures of General Synod
  • Church Representation Rules
  • Legal Adviser to Diocesan Synod
  • Parsonage houses
  • Church sites and burial grounds
  • Faculties and the Consistory Court
  • Consecration / licensing of buildings / burial grounds
  • Ecumenical and church sharing agreements
  • Legal training for clergy and churchwardens
  • Publication of notes of guidance
  • Charity law

Advice is also available to bona fide enquirers concerning the law of marriage, baptism, confirmation and burial of the dead (coffin burials and cremated remains) according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England.

For further advice visit Lupton Fawcett’s website, call 01904 623487 or email.

Legal Notices

There may be occasional legal notices that must be made public in connection with the Clergy Discipline measure.

In accordance with paragraph 312 of the Code of Practice of the Clergy Discipline Measure, from 24 October 2022 all penalties that have been imposed by a bishop or archbishop with the consent of the respondent under section 16 of the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 and penalties that have been imposed under section 30 or 31 are now published centrally by the President of Tribunals here.

Records of Tribunal decisions can be accessed on the Church of England’s website here.

Faculty Public Notices

Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015

Rule 9.9 of the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2015 provides that where a faculty petition concerns works which involve the demolition of a listed building, the alteration to or the extension of any part of a Grade I or II* listed building, or the exterior of a Grade II listed building to such an extent as would be likely to affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest; or demolition affecting the exterior of an unlisted building in a conservation area,then Public Notice of the proposed works must be given through the Diocesan website.

Application has been made to the Consistory Court of the Diocese of York for permission to carry out the works detailed below. A copy of the petition, plans and other documents relating to the works may be inspected by contacting the relevant Church noted below. You can also view these online – see the note at the bottom of this page.

If you wish to object to the proposed works, please direct your written objection to The Diocesan Registrar, Lupton Fawcett, Stamford House, Piccadilly, York, YO1 9PP. Objections must reach the Registrar on or before the deadline for individual submissions noted below, or the deadline stated on the Public Notice exhibited at the church (whichever is the later).

CHURCH: BEVERLEY ST MARY GRADE: I

At the West entrance to create a glazed entrance vestibule in accordance with: the West Door Project Specification from Andy Burrell Architecture dated November 2023 and associated Drawing Nos. 7073/7/11A, 12B, 13B, 31B, 41C, 42, 51C, 52D, 53A, 61D, 71A, 72A, 73B and 74 dated July to November 2023; Drawing No. 21906-Y-SK-001/P3 by Mason Clark Associates dated 24th November 2023; the Quotation from Ion Glass dated 9th August 2022 and the Quotation from Matthias Garn Stonemason dated 19th September 2022

Deadline for individual submissions: Friday 1st March 2024

CHURCH: YORK ST MICHAEL LE BELFREY GRADE: I

To introduce a stained glass window on the theme of Pentecost (Helen Whittaker) into the plain glazed West window

Deadline for individual submissions: Friday 15th March 2024

In this section

Church Buildings

Taking on responsibility for the upkeep of your church may seem like a daunting prospect, but here you will find a good deal of help and some useful resources.

Who We Are

The people and places that make up the Diocese of York

Who’s Who

Get in touch with the Diocesan team, here to serve the Diocese of York