Ripon College Cuddesdon

A packed Common Room got to share in the first Cuddesdon Compassion Salon gathering yesterday evening. Principal, Harriet Harris, talked with social activist, Prof. Barbara Becnel, a leading racial justice activist in the US. Her work with the former gang leader Stanley Tookie Williams was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and made into the film Redemption: the Stan Tookie Williams Story, which was nominated for a Golden Globe. Harriet and Barbara were joined by noted singer and writer, Julia Hollander.

Intention from the Principal:
As we come to the end of term, our Leavers are being transplanted into their parishes and we all feel the shift in the ground; the loosening of the soil around our own stems, the teasing apart of the roots that have come to intertwine, the movement we make from the stem upwards to give room to one another’s stretch.

We are in the season when the wheat is green. Wheat is not always ready for harvest; the seed not always at the point of dropping to the ground to die and give life. Jesus knew that for most of his ministry, his time had not yet come, and he sustains us in our on-going growth.

When we have transitions to undergo, let's lift the roots gently, reverently, so that those leaving take with them some of the earth in which they have recently been growing, and allow themselves the adjustments they need, the time to bed into their new environment. There will be a change in the soil, but the same gardener.

We pray for all being ordained and licensed in the coming weeks.

College students enjoyed a summer-term tour of British Museum artefacts that relate to Biblical periods, people, and places. The tour was led by Dr Hywel Clifford, the college’s Tutor in Old Testament – and by a Sphinx Rubber Duck from the college’s unofficial Egyptian Special Collection.

Yesterday, we held the Leavers' Service for our Full-Time and Context-Based Pathways. The Ember lists for all of our 2026 deacons and priests are now available at https://www.rcc.ac.uk/news

We were delighted to welcome to Cuddesdon The Rt Revd Mark Tanner, Bishop of Chester and Chair of the Archbishops' Council's Ministry Development Board, to meet with students and staff to have a conversation together about vision and hopes for Ministry Development.

Also joining us was Bertie, the mascot of the Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Blood Bikes, whose work Bishop Mark is supporting.

Principal's Intention for the Week:
I was given this painting a few years ago by a student from Kenya, and it sits in my office. The painting reminds me of the visitors to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre, and in turn of the Trinity and of hospitality. This week began with Trinity Sunday, including hearing Paul’s blessing to the Christians in Corinth: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’

God’s Spirit unites us in ways that are tangible and intangible, visible and invisible. In our Cuddesdon communities, we will experience the elasticity of the Spirit’s communion as we send out from among those about to be ordained. We can set the communion of the Spirit as our intention and focus; to notice and give thanks for the bonds we are given, and to further the work of communing in and extending the love of God.

The new Cuddesdon Compassion Salon invites authors, artists and others whose work speaks to compassionate, wise and courageous responses to life. Join us for its first meeting on 15 June at 7pm in the Common Room at Cuddesdon. We're delighted to be welcoming Prof. Barbara Becnel, a leading racial justice activist, discussing her work on rejecting the Doctrine of Discovery and promoting a more equitable social contract. Free event, optional £15 dinner. Book now: www.rcc.ac.uk/compassionsalon. All welcome!

Intention for the Week from the Principal:
We have celebrated Pentecost; Easter and Ascensiontide completed with the sending of the Holy Spirit. It is fitting that we return to Ordinary Time, because this is the time in which the Church lives, in which we all live, with Christ having taken our humanity into the Godhead and the Godhead sending the Holy Spirit to live within and among us. It is in God that we live and move and have our being. The Spirit inspires, counsels, comforts, and teaches us, fires us up, and gives us our very breath.

The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Which of these speaks the life-giving word to you this week? Tend the growth that yields this fruit in you, as the Spirit of God breathes life into you, and through you to others.

Ripon College Cuddesdon and The Tyndale Society are pleased to announce a Call for Papers for a conference on 28–29 October 2026. In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the publication in 1526 of William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament from Greek into English, this conference will celebrate Tyndale’s life, work, and legacy. Inspired by Tyndale’s vision, this conference will also be an occasion to bring together scholars, clergy, and laypeople to learn and reflect critically and imaginatively about the Bible in general. Special attention will be given to the Bible’s translation, distribution, and impact – past, present, and future. The organisers will consider the publication of conference proceedings. For more details, see www.rcc.ac.uk/tyndale. The deadline of this Call for Papers is 31 July 2026.

We are pleased to announce that Revd Dr Richard Wyld, our current Director of Formation, will take up the post for a year of Director of the Cuddesdon Chelmsford Centre, to ensure a seamless setup. The Centre will run its first pathway for students this September, following the agreement for Cuddesdon to be the Diocese of Chelmsford's new Theological Education Institution Training Partner.

The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, said: “Richard’s appointment is excellent news for our diocese and all those who will begin training for lay and ordained ministry on the Chelmsford Pathway from this autumn. Richard brings a wealth of experience from Cuddesdon and from theological education and ministry in the Church of England.