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My dear Siblings in Christ,
As you will see from the message below to the congregation, the Dean of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, the Very Reverend Heather Patton-Graham, has accepted a call as the Upper School Chaplain at St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Virginia. She will conclude her ministry with the Cathedral at the end of the school year, to begin her new ministry on July 1, 2026.
As Dean Heather prepares to leave the Cathedral and the Diocese, I want to express my deep appreciation for her ministry. It has been a blessing to the congregation and to me as bishop.
Elizabeth Conklin, a member of the Cathedral Chapter and former treasurer of the Cathedral, shared, in a message to Dean Heather when the Chapter was informed, “You are by far the best thing that's happened to the Cathedral since I moved here in 2006, and you will be deeply missed.”
I echo those words. It has been a gift to me to have a priest in charge of the Cathedral with a keen liturgical sense, a pastoral heart, and an understanding of the unique mission of a cathedral.
This call allows Dean Heather to return to her primary vocation as a full-time school chaplain and to be nearer to family. I understand and support her call, but I will be sad to see her leave the Cathedral and the Diocese.
It does come with a double loss as the Reverend Canon Sandy Graham will, of course, be leaving the Diocese at the same time. Canon Sandy is in active discernment regarding a future ministry. I hope he will be able to share more soon. I will share more about his departure in the near future.
Please express your thanks and aloha to both Dean Heather and Canon Sandy over the next couple of weeks. They have been an important part of the Diocese and vital to my ministry as bishop.
Yours Faithfully,
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