Ely Cathedral marked the retirement of Canon David Pritchard with a celebration Eucharist.
Ely Cathedral marked the retirement of Canon David Pritchard with a celebration Eucharist.
Canon Pritchard, who has been at Ely for 10 years, officially retires on December 31 but is now on leave till then.
He and his wife Tricia will be leaving the Black Hostelry, one of the medieval buildings in the grounds of Ely Cathedral, to set up home in Little Downham.
His ministry began in 1982 when he was appointed assistant curate at Kidlington in the Diocese of Oxford. In 1984 he became vicar of Marcham with Garford and was also rural dean of Abingdon from 1990-1996.
In 1996 Canon Prichard was appointed rector of Henley-on-Thames with Remenham and in 2004 he moved to Ely Cathedral to be canon precentor and pastor.
He said: “In the 10 years I have been in post we have seen the cathedral develop both in terms of ministry and profile. We have witnessed the installation of a new bishop and a new dean and we have welcomed members of the royal family including Her Majesty, The Queen.”
He said the cathedral had also held a number of high profile services including Sir Henry Cecil’s memorial and the wedding of England footballer, Darren Bent.
“Not forgetting of course the interest we have received from Hollywood and national television,” he added.
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