First female Dean for York Minster (From The Advertiser Series)

First female Dean for York Minster

5:29pm Thursday 5th July 2012 in North Yorkshire

ONE of the country’s great cathedrals, York Minster, is about to welcome its first female Dean.

The Very Reverend Vivienne Faull is to become the Dean of York in succession to Keith Jones, who retired in April.

Currently the Dean of Leicester, where she took office in 2002, she is one of four female deans in the country.

Dean Faull, who is 57, was educated at Oxford and trained for the ministry at St John’s College, Nottingham and Nottingham University.

She began cathedral ministry in 1990 as chaplain at Gloucester Cathedral where she married Michael, a doctor and where she was ordained priest in 1994.

In 2000 she was appointed Provost of Leicester - the first women to lead a Church of England cathedral - becoming Dean of Leicester in 2002.

She has been a member of the General Synod representing Deans of cathedrals since 2004 and is currently on the panel of Chairs of Synod.

Dean Faull said she weas excited about the prospect of moving north.

“It is of course daunting to move from one of the smallest to one of the largest cathedrals, but I know that there are many people who care deeply for York Minster, its mission and ministry, and I look forward to leading a large team on its continued development,” she said.

Her appointment was welcomed both by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, and the Acting Dean of York, Canon Glyn Webster.

Her installation as Dean will be announced at a later date.