Our Link with Uppsala, Sweden
The Llandaff Diocesan link with Uppsala Diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden began in October 2006. In December 2018 Bishop June asked Rev Canon Martyn Davies to take on the responsibility for encouraging the development of links between Llandaff and Uppsala. Bishop June and Bishop Karin signed a new Partnership Agreement in May 2022. A number of visits have taken place over the years. There have been exchange visits of Diocesan Officers and links have been formed between several parishes over the years. With the formation of Ministry Areas in Llandaff and Pastorates in Uppsala our structures have much in common.
Rev Canon Martyn Davies, Diocesan World Partnerships Officer, is very keen to re-establish links between Llandaff Cathedral and Uppsala Cathedral. With the appointment of Richard Peers and a new Dean of Uppsala (Matilda Helg) due to be in post in September 2023 the time seems right to reignite these links.
We are also looking at developing music links between our dioceses. Two Organ and choral students visited Llandaff last year and worked closely with Stephen Moore at Llandaff and Emma Gibbon at Newport Cathedral. Our friends in Uppsala are also very interested in the project at The Resurrection, Ely ‘Making music changing lives’ set up by Jan Gould.
Fr Martyn is also very keen to explore the possibility of forming closer theological links between St Padarn’s and the centre for training clergy in Uppsala. It would be good to have some exchange of students for short periods in the future.
In May 2023 Fr Martyn travelled with Diocesan Director of Ordinands Ryan Green, Head of Education Beccie Morteo and Social Justice and Outreach Lead Christoph Auckland. Each of them have reflected on their experiences during that visit.