A local connection for Archbishop's Enthronement

When the Most Reverend Cherry Vann, Bishop of Monmouth is enthroned as Archbishop of Wales on Saturday, she will be surrounded by some very special items – lovingly made in her home diocese of Monmouth.

During the service, which will be held at Newport Cathedral, Archbishop Cherry will sit on the Archepiscopal Chair which features a beautiful cushion, created by Monmouth Diocesan Guild of Church Needlework 25 years ago, she will also wear the Archiepiscopal Cope (a liturgical vestment), which was also embroidered by the guild.

The design of the cushion and cope mirror each other, both featuring the coats of arms of the six dioceses as they move from cathedral to cathedral, dependent on the diocese of the serving Archbishop.

The Guild was approached to make and embroider the Archiepiscopal Cope in 1987 for the then Archbishop of Wales, the Right Reverend George Noakes. The previous one had been made in 1921.

It took a team of seven members 15 months to complete the new cope. The hood features and intricate Celtic cross design. Seven yards of cream brocade, 97 skeins of silk thread, six reels of gold and silver thread and 11 yards of gold braid were used together with a gift of pure gold thread from the nuns of Ty Mawr Convent. The cost was £257.67 and hours and hours of devoted stitching.

By 2000, the cope needed some refurbishment and a new mitre was made at the same time.

During the service, Archbishop Cherry will be enthroned in the Archepiscopal Chair which is a wooden replica of the Chair of St Augustine in Canterbury Cathedral, and was a gift from the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1920 when, at its disestablishment, the Church in Wales became a separate Province of the Anglican Communion. The Chair will remain at Newport Cathedral throughout Archbishop Cherry’s tenure of office as Archbishop.

However, when the chair was last in Newport Cathedral, following the election of Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth, as Archbishop of Wales it had a red carpet on the dais and a cushion that was not quite in keeping with its status.

Maureen Mahoney, who joined the Guild in the mid 1990s, said: “A set of kneelers for the choir stalls in St Woolos Cathedral was nearing completion and the idea of providing a new cushion for the throne was born. The Archbishop was approached through his connection with the Monmouth Diocesan Guild of Church Needlework and he gave his approval.

“Canvas and wool were purchased through the Guild of Needlework. The designs for the coats of arms were adapted from patterns used by the Provincial Mothers’ Union to make a banner in the late 1990s. There are 69,300 cross stitches on the cushion which used 108 ten-metre skeins or one kilometre if wool!

“The work began in late 2000, but sadly, was not finished before the Archbishop was whisked away to Canterbury. The throne moved onto Llandaff and the finished cushion was placed upon it.

“It was a privilege to make the cushion for the Province and it is absolutely wonderful to have it back in St Woolos Cathedral!”

Despite the Guild ending several years ago, Maureen’s skills have been called upon for this enthronement and she has shortened the Archepiscopal Cope so it fits Archbishop Cherry perfectly!

The members of the Monmouth Diocesan Guild of Church Needlework continued a tradition begun 1950 when Bishop Edwin Morris founded the guild to promote the revival of church needlework in Monmouthshire. Unfortunately, the guild ended in 2018, but its wonderful work is still on display and will be a key feature of the enthronement service on Saturday.