Bangor Cathedral has announced its next Dean, following calls for urgent leadership to tackle recent governance and safeguarding concerns.
Rev Dr Manon Ceridwen James, who grew up in Nefyn on the Llyn Peninsula, will take up the role in September.
The cathedral has been without a Dean since 2021 and has faced scrutiny for “weak financial controls” and “inappropriate behaviours,” according to a Visitation report and safeguarding audit.
An Oversight Board is now implementing recommendations for reform, while the Charity Commission continues its inquiry.
Canon James, currently Canon Theologian at Newport Cathedral and Dean of Initial Ministerial Training at St Padarn’s Institute, said she was determined to help the cathedral move forward. She told the Church Times: “I’m looking forward to addressing the current challenges and will be working hard to rebuild trust. The people of Bangor deserve a cathedral which embodies all that is good about the city and the diocese.”
Bishop David Morris, who oversaw the appointment process, described her return as a homecoming: “Manon is coming home, and she does so with her vast experience and gifts.”
Known as an author, poet, and broadcaster, Canon James has contributed widely to public life in Wales, including BBC Radio, and has written extensively on faith, identity, and women’s issues.
She was one of the first women ordained as a priest in Wales in 1997.