The new Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe has been named as the Revd Canon Trevor Williams. Canon Williams, 59, formerly Rector of Holy Trinity and St Silas with Immanuel parish in North Belfast (Diocese of Connor), was elected by the Episcopal Electoral College for Limerick and Killaloe, meeting in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on Tuesday.
A native of Dublin, he was educated in St Andrew’s College, Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, and St John’s College, Nottingham.
Serving his first three years as a vicar in England, he moved to Ireland to become Assistant Chaplain to the Queen’s University of Belfast in 1978, before going on to serve as Religious Broadcasting Producer with the BBC between 1981-1988.
In 1993 he became leader of the Corrymeela Community, an ecumenical Christian group committed to promoting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, and he retains an active interest in working for reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Canon Williams recently joined with four other protestant clergymen from North Belfast in urging the Northern Ireland Executive to put more resources into addressing sectarianism in its Programme for Government.
He was appointed a Canon of St Patrick’s Cathedral in 2002. He is married to Joyce and they have three adult sons, Andrew, Mark and Michael. Joyce works as an administrator with the Churches Community Work Alliance.
Reacting to his appointment, the Revd Canon Trevor Williams said that he was “surprised and delighted to be offered the opportunity of serving the people of the united Dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe. I’ve really enjoyed my time here in North Belfast and I’d like to thank the people here for their warm and generous welcome.”
Canon Williams replaces Bishop Michael Mayes, who retired from the position last March.
Canon Williams will join his fellow bishops at the Church of Ireland General Synod, which takes place in Galway next week from 13th to 15th May. On Wednesday, President Mary McAleese, will be among those addressing the Synod. It is the first time an Irish President has addressed a Church of Ireland synod.
The Synod will bring together over 600 elected clergy and lay people from all over Ireland. The annual meeting is the legislative and administrative body of the Church of Ireland.
Meanwhile, earlier this week the Archbishop of Canterbury had a private meeting with Pope Benedict. After the meeting, it was announced that Cardinal Ivan Dias, the Indian prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, would be among the speakers at this summer's Lambeth Conference, which brings Anglican bishops together in London once every 10 years.
Rebel bishops, angry at Williams's acceptance of gay bishops, plan a breakaway conference in Jordan and Jerusalem, threatening the break-up of the Anglican Communion.
Rev Keith Pecklers, a professor of liturgy at the Gregorian University in Rome, who has worked with the Anglican Centre in Rome on relations between the two churches, said: "Cardinal Kasper might be expected to attend, given his role, but Cardinal Dias's presence is proof that the Vatican wants to be supportive of Williams.
"The message is: 'We're in this together and we are ecumenical partners, even if there are issues on which we disagree quite clearly,' " he added.
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