Please see below the official statement which was released to the general public on Wednesday the 3rd of June regarding the move of St Andrew’s Cathedral Congregation to St Mary’s Carden Place Aberdeen. This was a decision taken after much prayer and discussion and has been taken in the best interests of all concerned. Please do not hesitate to contact me on the details provided below should you wish to discuss any of these matters with me.
During the past several weeks, I have been involved in discussions with Bishop Anne Dyer and others regarding the position of the Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Aberdeen. A decision has been taken by the Cathedral Trustees to close St Andrew’s temporarily in September this year because the condition of the building does not make it suitable for worship through the winter. During this temporary closure, the fabric of the building will be assessed.
This temporary closure is unrelated to the closure of places of worship during the coronavirus pandemic, and it is possible that St Andrew’s may re-open as part of the phased easing of lockdown, before it closes again in September for assessment.
It was requested by Bishop Anne that St Mary’s therefore becomes the Diocesan Provisional Cathedral during that temporary period. Together with the Vestry Committee it was unanimously agreed that St Mary’s would accept this role for the foreseeable future and the transition will become effective from Sunday 27 September 2020.
Bishop Anne is grateful for our support. She says to the congregation of St Mary’s:
“In deciding to close the cathedral buildings temporarily from the end of September this year, the Trustees are acting in the best interests of the congregation of St Andrew’s. The buildings are no longer suitable for worship through another winter. This kind and loving decision has been echoed by the invitation from St Mary’s, Carden Place, to welcome the St Andrew’s congregation there. That location will become the pro-cathedral for the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney, and will provide us with an opportunity in these challenging times to pool our resources, so that together we can continue to serve our neighbours in the City of Aberdeen.”
I will remain as Rector of St Mary’s and will share both my pastoral and presiding role with the Very Rev’d Isaac Poobalan, Provost of the Cathedral Church of St Andrew. We will both work tirelessly to ensure that when the two congregations meet together to worship, it will be in the spirit of love and affection strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will all experience change and I have no doubt that many of you will have questions to ask, so please do not hesitate to contact me. We all have work to do in the coming months, which I know you will all be willing to assist with. Please remember the congregation of St Andrew’s in your prayers as we move forward.
Blessings Always
Fr Terry Taggart (Rector)