A CHRISTMAS GREETING
A Very Happy Christmas from
THE VERY REVD CHRIS DALLISTON 2020 has been a challenging year for all, and as it approaches its end, Christmas could seem a bit more flat than usual, with fewer of the usual celebrations and a more low-key feeling. But, says the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral, The Very Revd Chris Dalliston, there are many reasons to be positive about 2021 and the hope it can bring. Here, Chris presents his Christmas message to our readers on behalf of the Diocese of Peterborough... Words: Rob Davis.
Undoubtedly, 2020 has been a rotten year. Apologies if that seems uncharacteristically pessimistic, but this has been a year of disruption, set to culminate in a festive season lacking the usual joie de vivre. Celebrations will be limited to fewer people than usual and festivities like office parties and New Year’s Eve black-tie balls have been curtailed. That doesn’t mean, however, we can’t find comfort and joy in the festive season, indeed, it could be that with the season set to be less busy than usual, it’s a more concentrated celebration of Christmas, with more of the peace and good will, and fewer of the obligations we feel the need to fulfil in the run up to 25th December. Peterborough Cathedral is the Cathedral church for Rutland, and the Diocese of Peterborough as a whole. It is, of course, usually open for business throughout the year, though like all churches was forced to close at the peak of the pandemic. But over Christmas the building enjoys a special relevance as a place of celebration and joy; ecclesiastical and otherwise. Similarly, The Church of England is a backdrop against which our lives are set, and even if we’re not seen in church as often as we might be, Christian events in the calendar, like Christmas, ensure that the Church can provide a sense of continuity and hope for everyone, regardless of their religious persuasion or even their lack of same… and who doesn’t need hope in their lives as we reach the end of 2020? The Very Revd Chris Dalliston was installed as Dean of Peterborough in January 2018 16
and for nearly three years, he and his team have worked hard to make the Cathedral as inclusive as possible not just for residents of the city, but for the Diocese as a whole. You’ve been at Peterborough Cathedral for nearly three years now?
Yes. I’m actually an East Anglian by birth, so this is a bit of a homecoming for me. I studied History at Cambridge before I took a job at the Ford Motor Company in 1978. The role was one of Industrial Relations – it would now be known as Human Resources but it was certainly an interesting time. It was during a period of industrial unrest, with a lack of unity between workers and management, so it was an interesting time helping to find ways through the conflicts. Did your faith help?
Absolutely. I can’t remember a time that I didn’t have my faith. My parents weren’t religious, so it was perhaps the most low-key teenage rebellion that I began going to church. Particularly when I was in Cambridge, I was exploring what my life was going to be like and achieving a growing conviction that I wanted a career helping people. The Church might seem an unlikely next step from Ford, but there are common strands. I was working with both managers and the workforce and trying to bring an ethical perspective to the environment we were in. It certainly helped me begin to see how people think and react and how good communication can help to make things better.
When did you make the transition to ministry?
I attended Theological college in Oxford from 1981 to 1984 and was ordained in Chelmsford where I completed a curacy and was then Chaplain to the Bishop. After four years as a parish priest in East London, I spent eight years in Boston before venturing up north to Newcastle as Dean of England’s most northerly Cathedral. There were some really exciting thing happening in Newcastle, it was a flourishing environment and we shaped an exciting project with the Heritage Lottery Fund called Common Ground in Sacred Space. I wasn’t looking to leave but I was asked to apply for the position of Dean of Peterborough Cathedral and was installed in January 2018. I was thrilled to come here; to this fabulous Cathedral and a part of the world closer to my roots and heart. What was the remit of your appointment?
The Cathedral at the time was in a difficult situation financially. The role of Dean is to lead the Cathedral in delivering the Bishop’s ministry, but beyond that the Cathedral can be many things; a heritage attraction, a cultural centre, a place for pilgrims and tourists and of course, above all, a place for prayer and worship. Above all it’s a place for people, but ensuring that people can enjoy it means maintaining the fabric of a very old, very complex building, ensuring that its finances are sound and managing or working alongside not just 50 full and part time members of staff but anything up to 400 volunteers too. >>
