Cathedral Visitation Determinations Statement January 2023

In July 2022 the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen announced a Visitation of Truro Cathedral.  Work began immediately, concluding in December 2022 and Bishop Philip has today released his final Determinations from that Visitation.

 Bishop Philip’s Statement

 “I am extremely grateful to the Chapter and staff of Truro Cathedral for the support they have offered to the Visitation Team in challenging circumstances, and to all the participants in the Visitation for their readiness to speak with team members with honesty and courage. I am immensely grateful to the Visitation Team - Bishop Joanne Woolway Grenfell, Lucinda Herklots, Dave Pate, Patti Russell and Peter Spindler - for the skill, wisdom and dedication with which they have discharged their responsibilities with respect to this Visitation.

 “During the Visitation, the team identified some improvements in practice which had taken place between the conclusion of the Review and the conclusion of the Visitation.

 “This was particularly obvious following the arrival of the interim Dean in October 2022; they saw a step change, with swift and positive developments relating to vision setting; expectations around culture and behaviour, and practice; improvements in finance, health and safety, and safeguarding. As a result, they have made clear their full confidence in the interim Dean’s leadership and their appreciation of his responsiveness and competence in dealing with any matters that were raised both in relation to the earlier Review findings and to the work of Visitation. I wholly concur with that judgement.

 “In the light of the findings of the Visitation I have made a number of Determinations which focus on leadership and management culture, cathedral governance structures, cathedral decision making processes, safeguarding and risk management. These areas will be reviewed in 12 months to ensure progress is being made.

 “I have made these Determinations in the fervent prayer that Truro Cathedral might enter a new season of fruitfulness in the mission and ministry of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as a place which is both sacred space and common ground for all the people of Cornwall and beyond.”

 Dean Simon Robinson’s Statement

 “It is an immense privilege to have been invited to lead Truro Cathedral at this challenging time and through the upcoming season of change. Working together, I am confident that the necessary improvements clearly spelled out in Bishop Philip’s Determinations can be achieved by God’s grace, through prayer and through hard work. We will need to be courageous, to build on what is good and to change what must be changed. My prayer echoes that of Bishop Philip’s, that together Truro Cathedral enters a new season of fruitfulness in the mission and ministry of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and that we grow in confidence in our callings and our responsibilities to serve the people of Cornwall and beyond.”

 You can read the Determinations document here.