The Dean of Hereford, the Very Revd. Michael Tavinor will be on study leave for the first three months of 2010, and comments below on the three projects that his study will include.

1.       Completing a degree he has been working

          on for a number of years. 

“I’ve enjoyed nibbling at this course”, says

the Dean.  “There hasn’t been much time for it, but the time I have spent has been useful in keeping my brain ticking over.”   The dissertation for the M.Th is on what was happening to shrines of saints which survived the Reformation.  “The cathedral shrines were central to their life and ministry before the Reformation,” says the Dean, “but very little has been written on what was happening to the few survivors of destruction.   My contention is that there may have been more interest than meets the eye... I have three case studies – Chester (St.Werburgh), Westminster Abbey (St.Edward the Confessor) and of course Hereford (St.Thomas Cantilupe)”.

2.       Continuing a book entitled Saints and

          Sinners of the Marches. 

This is a ‘page a day’ book, which selects 365 people of the diocese of Hereford and the Marches and uses them as a resource for prayer,

poetry and reflection.   “All sorts of people – some

famous – some hardly heard-of – have made a

difference to this part of the world.  My hope is that

this will be a resource to open our eyes to what

and who is on our doorstep and to find a way into

prayer through the local and the particular”.

The Dean has set a target for 2012 as a completion

date.  “I have the names of the 365 saints/sinners

– I’ve completed 3 entries – just 362 to go...!”

3.       Walking the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester to

          Canterbury.

“I’ve always had an interest in pilgrimage and have wanted to do this walk since boyhood – so this is an ideal opportunity”.    The route will take two weeks and follows (mainly) the North Downs Way and leads, of course, to Canterbury Cathedral and the site of the shrine of St.Thomas.   The Dean will be doing an average of 12 miles a day.  “I’ll be staying with kind friends along the way – among whom are three Deans, who’ve kindly said they’ll put me up”.