Newly installed Dean of Chichester, The Very Rev Edward Dowler has arrived at an exciting time – just as Chichester Cathedral is looking forward to series of events that will run throughout 2025 to mark its 950th anniversary.
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00:00Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Really lovely
00:06to meet the new Dean of Chichester, the very reverend Edward Dowler. Now, Edward, you have
00:10arrived at a very significant moment, just in time for the 950th anniversary of the Cathedral.
00:17And that's super exciting, with a really busy programme that in a way you've walked into
00:22that's already there. But it's good timing, isn't it, to arrive at this moment?
00:29It's a wonderful privilege to be here in the first place. And as you say, we've got this
00:36very well worked out and interesting, exciting programme for next year to mark our 950th
00:44anniversary. And so I'm very much looking forward to all the things that that's going to contain.
00:51And it's a really busy programme, but you've been in position for just a few weeks. What
00:56are the first impressions? Are you starting to feel at home here?
01:01Yes, yes. I mean, I've known the... because I've been in my previous post in East Sussex
01:08for quite a while, eight years, I did know Chichester a little bit,
01:15mainly from visits to the Bishop who is resident here. And it certainly is starting to feel like
01:24home. I mean, I think as well as the sort of beauty of many parts of the city, which of course
01:31is very striking, it's also the compactness and the fact that all the things that you
01:39need to go to are so closely on hand. It does make it actually very easy to sort of settle
01:45down here and feel as though one's getting to know it pretty well, quite quickly.
01:51And there's a friendliness to Chichester, isn't there, don't you think?
01:55Yes, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. And even having been here just for a few weeks,
02:00that's something that I quickly pick up on.
02:06Definitely. And also in the Cathedral, it's a really vibrant life with lots of
02:10things happening, isn't it?
02:12Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, I think cathedrals are very privileged in the number of people we welcome
02:21in here, and they come from all over the world. I think it's currently around a quarter of a million
02:27who visit the Cathedral each year, and they come from all sorts of places. Some come very much
02:37as pilgrims, and they come for the worship and the services or to find somewhere peaceful,
02:45quiet and for prayer. And others just come to look around, look at the amazing artworks,
02:53the ancient and modern, the architecture, and all the other things. But it's just sort of
03:00wonderful to be at the sort of crossroads of that and to be able to welcome people in and
03:09meet them and interact with them.
03:11Absolutely. And always good to find a reason to celebrate in 950 years. It's a very good reason,
03:16isn't it?
03:18Yeah, it is a good reason. And it also marks the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed,
03:30which is one of the kind of central statements of the Christian faith that was basically brought
03:35into something like its current form at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. So it's just
03:43rather an extraordinary coincidence that we've got 1700 years of the Creed and 950 years of the
03:52Cathedral. And those two have come together to make it quite a special year in our diocese,
04:00and also as far as the Cathedral is concerned, in the city, in the local area.
04:06Edward, really lovely to meet you, and very much looking forward to all that's coming up.
04:11Thank you very much. Thank you.