The Bishop is assisted in his responsibility for promoting good liturgical formation and celebration within the Diocese by the Liturgy Department.
Fr Gary Dench is Director of the Liturgy Department and Diocesan Master of Ceremones. With the assistance of the Executive Committee, the Diocesan Liturgy Planning Group and the Art & Architecture Committee outlined below, he advises the Bishop on all liturgical matters and assists him in encouraging and implementing sound liturgical practice throughout the Diocese.
The Bishop is to be considered as the High Priest of his flock from whom the life in Christ of his faithful is in some way derived and upon whom it in some way depends.
Therefore all should hold in the greatest esteem the liturgical life of the diocese centred around the Bishop, especially in the cathedral church. They must be convinced that the principal manifestation of the Church consists in the full, active participation of all God’s holy people in the same liturgical celebrations, especially in the same Eucharist, in one prayer, at one altar, at which the bishop presides, surrounded by his college of priests and by his ministers.
Zeal for the promotion and restoration of the sacred liturgy is rightly held to be a sign of the providential dispositions of God in our time, and as a movement of the Holy Spirit in his Church. It is today a distinguishing mark of the life of the Church, and indeed, of the whole tenor of contemporary religious thought and action.
| Director of Liturgy and Diocesan Master of Ceremonies | Rev Gary Dench MA (Hons), STB, JCL |
|---|---|
| Administrative Secretary (Tues-Thurs) | Mrs Helen Barwell |
Executive Committee
| Liturgy, Chairman | Rev Gary Dench, MA (Hons), STB, JCL |
|---|---|
| Secretary | Mrs Helen Barwell |
| Members | Rt Rev Bishop Alan Williams |
| Rev Mgr Canon Kevin Hale VG | |
| Mr Andrew Wright (Director of Liturgical Music) | |
| Rt Rev Mgr David Manson | |
| Rev Deacon Ken Carleton |
Diocesan Liturgy Planning Group
| Chairman | Rev Gary Dench, MA (Hons), STB, JCL |
|---|---|
| Rev Canon John J Harvey BA (Div), JCL, MCL | |
| Mr Andrew Wright | |
| Mr John McCormack | |
| Rev Deacon Ken Carleton | |
| Rev Deacon Simon Conrad |
Art & Architecture Committee
Chairman: Rev Mark Reilly
Secretary: Mrs Julia Byczynski
Email: [email protected]
(Please refer to the Diocese of Brentwood, Art & Architecture Committee ‘Handbook for Parishes 2020’ found below before making contact)