New Dean of York announced

It has been announced today from 10 Downing Street that Her Majesty The Queen has approved the nomination of the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, Dean of Leicester, as the next Dean of York.

She succeeds the Very Reverend Keith Jones, who retired in April.

Dean Faull, 57, studied at the Queen’s School, Chester and Saint Hilda’s College, Oxford. After teaching with the Church Mission Society in North India and youth work at Shrewsbury House, Everton, she trained for ministry at Saint John’s College, Nottingham and Nottingham University.

She served as a Deaconess at Saint Matthew and Saint James, Mossley Hill in the Diocese of Liverpool from 1982 to 1985, moving to become Chaplain, later Fellow, at Clare College, Cambridge.

She was made Deacon in the Diocese of Ely in 1987.

She began cathedral ministry in 1990 as Chaplain at Gloucester Cathedral where she married Michael, a Physician, and where she was ordained priest in 1994. In 1994 she moved to become Canon Pastor, and later Vice Provost, at Coventry Cathedral.

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.

In 2009 she was elected Chairman of the Association of English Cathedrals (the cathedrals’ representative body) and is serving her second term on the English Anglican Roman Catholic committee for ecumenical conversations.

She is currently a governor of Leicester College, one of the largest and most diverse Further Education Colleges in the country, and a Trustee of Curve, Leicester’s new theatre. She has recently been elected Honorary Fellow of Clare College Cambridge.

Dean Faull, said:

"I am honoured and delighted to have been nominated by Her Majesty The Queen to be the next Dean of York and excited about moving back 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.

The Acting Dean of York, Canon Glyn Webster, said, "We very much look forward to welcoming the new Dean to York Minster and helping her and her husband to feel at home, and also working with her to build up the life of God's kingdom among us.”

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said:

"This rich experience and her deep trust in God and love for all people, will help the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York (York Minster) as it seeks to serve the mission of God in the Diocese and Province of York. York Minster exists for the glory of God and as a sign of God’s Kingdom in the world. We welcome The Very Reverend Vivienne Faull and her family most warmly to the Diocese and Provincial family of York.”

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