New Canon Pastor appointed - Truro Cathedral

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40 years on….. On Wednesday 29 June Canon Peter Walker celebrated 40 years of ministry. In this interview he looks back over a varied and eventful life as a Priest. Colin: Peter: Colin: Peter: Colin: Peter: Colin: Peter: You’ve had quite a wide-ranging ministry throughout your 40 years, haven’t you? Yes, I’ve been lucky to have had a variety of jobs and roles in both deeply urban and rural parishes in very beautiful places, but people are much the same wherever you are. During the Lake District years I came into contact with many young people from inner city Manchester and Liverpool and because of my urban experience, I knew where they were coming from, so to speak. I have always considered myself to be, first and foremost, a parish priest and throughout my ministry I have never been without one, whether as Warden of a retreat house or here at the Cathedral. Why did you become a priest? Looking back to the first glimmer of a vocation to be a priest, I had this rather romantic notion of a begging bowl existence, wandering the streets and spreading the gospel, talking about God, and helping people to grow in faith and the spiritual life. I was young and single, ordained at the age of 23, so I could adapt to circumstances pretty easily. At one point I moved accommodation five times in six months, living for a while in the Church Hall! I spent a lot of time relating to young people, and involving them in the life of the church, something that is not so easy nowadays. Who influenced your early ministry? During my formation as a priest my Bishop was Trevor Huddleston. In fact he ordained me priest. He was responsible for exposing the apartheid regime in South Africa to the west, through his book ‘Naught for your Comfort’, and his influential on me was great. Your early work as a priest was in the East End of London. Yes, I served two curacies. One near Stamford Hill in Hackney and the second at St Matthew’s, Bethnal Green, Both played a major part in my formation but it was in Bethnal Green that I really came to understood the meaning of the Colin: Peter: Colin: Peter: Colin: Peter: Colin: Peter: Incarnation and God’s involvement with the poor. I experienced the absolute reality of poverty there, but in later years, I’ve become aware of the extent of rural poverty. There are hidden pockets of extreme poverty in Cornwall. Do you think that hidden poverty has changed over the years? Is it worse, better of just the same? I don’t think the situation is better, in fact I think the gap between rich and poor has got wider. There have been people who have moved to Cornwall who haven’t necessarily contributed to the overall economy, many have of course, but we know how the rise in house prices has impacted on local people. You’ve spent over ten years at the Cathedral. What are your impressions over that period? It has been a wonderful and eventful ten years. We have undergone major change, in fact, something of a revolution in the way we organise ourselves. I think the Cathedral is in really very good heart. It has developed beyond recognition. There is so much going on and its public profile has been raised dramatically. I think people recognise it as a powerhouse; it initiates things and drives things; it’s so full of life and energy. Long may it continue! What have you enjoyed most at the Cathedral? Undoubtedly it has been working with young people, working with the schools and latterly becoming much more involved with the life of the choir. My musical education has taken a giant leap forward! My greatest achievement was to sing the Rose responses at Evensong without a hitch and of course I have enjoyed being a member of the boy bands Sound Heresy and The Sweet Inspirations! I was particularly pleased at the appointment of a full-time Education Officer, which I always felt we needed. Sarah Hughes our new Education Officer is wonderful and I’m pleased that I’m leaving the education provision to grow and develop in her capable hands. Is there anything that concerns you? Possibly, I am conscious of the tension between our busy-ness and the need for our Cathedral to be an oasis, or better still, a powerhouse of prayer, silence and quiet reflection. We should never lose sight of what Jesus left us; the gift of prayer. That’s what his disciples asked him to teach them. If you lose that, you lose everything. Prayer is the bedrock, the springboard, and whatever else goes on in the building we must 4
never lose sight of that importance of prayer. importance to welcome them as Christ himself. Colin: Peter: If you look back over your 40 years as a priest, there have been some significant changes in the Church and where it is going. How would you characterise some of those changes? The major change I’ve noticed as a priest is how much more thinly spread we are. The benefits of that have been to encourage other forms of ministry, both ordained and lay; a much stronger sense of being in it together as the body of Christ. Society is more secularized and the Church is much diminished in terms of its importance in people’s lives. Church life is an alien culture for many people and I have always been particularly concerned to encourage the whole Cathedral community to give a great deal of attention to the way we welcome visitors into the Cathedral. It is of the utmost Colin: Peter: You are Chaplain to the Isles and will continue to be a member of Chapter as the new Canon Librarian. How will that work? I am grateful that the Bishop and the Chapter have allowed me to remain a member of Chapter in order to better develop the relationship between the Cathedral and Scilly. I am keen to do this and I have one or two ideas on how to do it. Having nearly completed twelve months here I’m beginning to understand the rhythm of island life which is very different to life in Truro. Lynne and I are enjoying this new ministry and the challenges that constantly present themselves in this demanding parish. Here’s to the next forty years! Farewell As I prepare for my move to Norwich Cathedral, it gives me time to reflect on my last four years at Truro. So many exciting and interesting things have happened and here are some of the memories which I will take with me: Our wonderful Cathedral Choir - The daily pattern of services which underpins all that the Cathedral is about. Yet our musicians at Truro always give so much more through the wider mission and outreach which music can bring; the work of Cornwall Junior and Youth Choirs, the SING UP outreach programme, the varied BBC broadcasts including the Pentecost Eucharist in 2008, the many wonderful concerts and our superb series of Organ Recitals. The Restoration of the Central Tower and Spire – it was a great privilege to be part of the team which oversaw this important restoration work and it is wonderful to see the Tower sitting proudly on the skyline of Truro, restored and cleaned for future generations to enjoy. Working with the Cathedral Chapter – Cathedrals are different from Parish Churches in that they do not have a PCC, but a Cathedral Chapter which governs the daily life of the Cathedral. This can occasionally cause confusion and tension amongst members of any Cathedral Congregation. I have very much enjoyed working with members of Chapter, not only on the day to day issues affecting the life of the Cathedral, but also on the more strategic aims and objectives, such as Inspire Cornwall. Receiving the news that we had been awarded - £300,000 from the Friends of Truro Cathedral, £400,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £250,000 from the English Heritage/Wolfson Foundation Cathedral Grants Scheme and £100,000 from the Foundation for Sports and Art towards Inspire Cornwall! Fundraising – We have been particularly fortunate in gaining the generous support of many donors towards funds at the Cathedral. All have been very much appreciated. Special mention must be made of the “lighter” side of some of our fundraising which has been particularly enjoyable; the Rick Stein Fundraising Dinner and the Fundraising Concert with Sir Tim Rice, Rick Wakeman, Connie Fisher, John Barrowman and the Magnets. I have greatly enjoyed working with all members of the Cathedral Community; staff, congregation, Chapter, Cathedral Council, the Friends and members of our Finance Committee and Fabric Advisory Committee. I have learnt an enormous amount during my time at Truro Cathedral and for this I say a big thank you. I am sure that this will stand me in good stead for my work as Chapter Steward of Norwich Cathedral. I do hope that if you visit Norfolk, you will come and visit me in Norwich. Neil Parsons 5
Page 1 and 2: AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2011 New Canon P
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Page 7 and 8: Truro Cathedral Restaurant on Frida
Page 9 and 10: CRICKET Robert Preston, our Cricket
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Page 15 and 16: Cornwall Guild of Weavers, Spinners
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Page 19 and 20: So it is very important to us that
Page 21 and 22: Bert Biscoe has just had published
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Page 29 and 30: advancing Israeli forces, and about
Page 31 and 32: Retreat: The full Spiritual Exercis
Page 33: Wrasslin! The Annual Truro Cornish
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New Canon Pastor appointed - Truro Cathedral

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