For Kieron Rowley his ordination at Wells Cathedral will be a return to a place he is very familiar with, having spent 3 years working at the Cathedral as a Virger. It was during his time there that Kieron began to think about ordination in the Church of England. “It was a joy, I loved it so much and I learnt a great deal, but there was still a sense of being called on to more and that was emphasised through conversations with cathedral clergy and with friends who said, ‘Just do it, you’ve been dancing around this question for such a long time, it’s about time that you just bit the bullet and got on with it to see how far it takes you.’ So, for the first time I said, ‘yes’ to God properly.”
Keiron was brought up in the Roman Catholic Church and spent a lot of time in discernment for the priesthood. He also spent time with the Capuchin Franciscans and the Grey Friars. “I was brought up in an Irish Catholic family. Since the age of 5, so my mother recalls, I wanted to be a priest, it was something I felt very called to as a child.
“I was an alter server and then went on to be a Master of Ceremonies in my church. I loved the liturgy, and there was always this calling, this sense that there was always something I was meant to do and that never went away no matter how often I pushed it away.”
Kieron studied theology in Chester and whilst there he spent time as a volunteer verger at Chester Cathedral. He “fell in love with Evensong and the openness and the positivity that I found in the Anglican church.” It led him to question whether he should be exploring his life in the Anglican church.
“My journey has been one of continuous growth and development, enriched by a variety of monastic traditions and religious communities. Through studying theology, I found my way to the Anglican tradition and fell in love with Evensong and Cathedral worship.”
Kieron will serve his curacy in the Benefice of Glastonbury St John and St Benedict with Meare. He says, “I’m a big believer in the parish as the foundation of our Christian life. I’m looking forward to being alongside people out in the community and being with them where they are. I am also looking forward to developing a relationship with our secondary school which will be a slightly new thing for me.”