I pray they have found a new ministry, even in retirement. [3], In 1987 Willis became vicar of Sherborne Abbey, a former cathedral and abbey in Dorset. Its all right, theyve decided to carry on without the Dean, Were not saying goodbye at this stage, he said in hisfinal Morning Prayeron Monday, delivered against a glorious backdrop of wisteria. Speaking of animals, how can we forget the announcement, which rung from the belfry that Clemmie is pregnant! All the animals hold special affection for the Dean and for us viewers, especially Mr. Robin, Duckie, Russel Crow, Winston and Clemmie, and the three cats each a scene stealer par excellence. 13/08: The Deanery - Canterbury Cathedral - Blogger I am still dealing with health issues for myself and my adult daughter but praying with Dean Willis and the Garden Congregation has kept me going. There will never be enough said about the greatness of his teachings and prayers. Dean Willis delivers the blessing at the end of his final service of Morning Prayer from the Deanery garden on Monday THE Very Revd Dr Robert Willis will no longer be Dean of Canterbury, but his international ministry online would continue in some form, he said this week. With the help of the new YouTube channel and the existing services going back over two years, we are generously being given the opportunity to remain connected. But I do hope total dissipation is not going to be our fate, Having said that, the Disciples did scatter when Jesus moved on as that was the way it was meant to be. Like you, we have also wondered how the Dean and Fletcher have found time to read so many books, see so many plays and operas, learn so much poetry, hear so much great music- and especially to remember so many details of what they had seen and heard to connect them to spiritual truths in these wonderful morning reflections. The Rev. Professional Videography for Weddings, Creative projects, and Commercial content Archbishop of Canterbury Supports Pro-Abortion Buffer Zones, Canterbury Cathedral Hosts Award Ceremony for Top UK Abortionist, Female Preachers To Usurp Pulpits on St. Indeed, the garden congregation has grown from an initial few dozen to tens of thousands of people around the world. During the morning service, Robert makes reference to disasters and concerns being suffered in countries around the globe. Robert Willis is a 75 years old Dean of Canterbury from Stamford, Connecticut. The initiative was his own, supported by his partner Fletcher, as a way of not breaking the 1400-year tradition of the daily Office at the cathedral. Get briefed on today's top stories with Nick Wylie. A title conferred under this provision shall confer no vested interest and, in particular, the holder shall not by virtue of that title be a member of the College of Canons'. The ability of Dean Robert to give such life to the Gospels and to make them meaningful, the breadth of his interests, experience, and knowledge, and the connections he draws using all of these are something very special. Out of necessity during COVID 19 lockdown Dean Robert used these marvelous videos to expand the Anglican Church and keep spreading the word of God and message of Jesus in such an interesting and beautiful way. Most of us will never meet in person, and we probably never worshiped at exactly the same time, yet daily we prayed together, listened and learned together, sang, laughed, smiled, and wept together, felt each others presence across time and space, and grew together in love for God, for one another and for all creation. You see, Dean Robert gave us so much during this time that we cant Take Note Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray, These comments arrive, almost daily in response to my blog. Dr Willis began his outdoor ministry during the first national lockdown when the cathedral along with all churches was forced to close to worshippers.