A NEW Archdeacon of Wrexham has been installed in a special service at St Asaph Cathedral.

The Venerable Dr Hayley Matthews will look after churches and communities across the city and county of Wrexham, as well as Mold and Deeside.

She succeeds John Lomas as Archdeacon of Wrexham who was appointed as the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in November 2021. 

The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron installed her as Archdeacon during a service of Evensong on Sunday, March 5.

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Rev. Cameron said: “I am delighted to welcome Hayley to Wales and to the diocese.  She brings a wealth of talent with her, and we look forward to her contribution to the leadership of the diocese.”

Dr Matthews moved from the Diocese of Leeds, where she was the Director of Lay Training, to be the Archdeacon of Wrexham.

She said: “I arrived in Wrexham on Ash Wednesday (February 22), delighted to start my journey as Archdeacon and also to share our Christian journey together towards the ultimate joy of Easter Sunday.

"I’ve much to learn about our churches and communities and can’t wait to learn how I may help and serve this wonderfully historic and fast progressing area.”

Hayley, who is originally from Worcester, was ordained as a deacon in Blackburn Cathedral in 2006 and priested the following year at Lancaster Priory.

She was a chaplain at Media City in Salford and Rector of Holy Innocents in Fallowfield in the Diocese of Manchester before moving to the Diocese of Leeds.

Before training as a priest, Hayley worked in education, developing virtual learning environments and with Blackpool Local Education Authority promoting inclusion through the Excellence in Cities programme.

Hayley has two children. She and her family enjoy the outdoors, reading and travelling. Moving to Wales gives her the opportunity to explore her grandfather’s family links to Ruabon and Wrexham.

The Diocese of St Asaph is one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales, an autonomous province in the worldwide Anglican Communion.