Welcome Message

The Bishop of Ely, the Rt Revd Stephen Conway, writes:

The Bishop of Ely
Rt Revd Stephen Conway

Welcome to the Diocese of Ely's website.

We cover an area of 1,507 square miles and incorporate Cambridgeshire, part of West Norfolk, and some parishes in South Peterborough. The landscape is one of striking contrasts, from the flat land and dramatic skies of the Fens and Marshes in the north and east, to the undulating countryside and picturesque villages of the south. 334 church buildings, some of them fine examples of medieval architecture, provide places of worship, and we look forward to building more churches in the rapidly expanding housing developments around Peterborough and Cambridge.

Christianity in this part of the country has deep roots. In 673, the East Anglian Princess Etheldreda founded a monastery of men and women on the Isle of Ely, near to the site of our splendid present-day Cathedral. This resilient community survived, often in the face of danger and brutality, until Archbishop Dunstan reformed monastic life in England and sent a Benedictine community to develop the Abbey of Ely in 972.

The great Benedictine legacy of spirituality, learning, hospitality, land management, local employment and participation in national affairs continues to inspire us, though the Church is no longer a sole player. Today, the life of the Diocese is enriched by two Universities offering world class teaching and research. The fertile agricultural land largely recovered by the 17th-century Dutch Engineer, Cornelius Vermuyden’s, remarkable drainage project provides a large percentage of the national output of potatoes, vegetable and salad crops and deciduous fruit. Hi-tech research industries are harnessing the discoveries of academic scientists to make innovative and often life-transforming contributions in medicine, electronics, and other fields.

I trust that this website will be a window through which you can see that the Diocese is committed to bringing the life and love of Jesus Christ to every aspect of life through our parish churches, schools, chaplaincies and the volunteering of so many Christian people. We rejoice in a deepening call to share in God’s mission and to serve God’s justice in every locality.

As you search or just browse, please pray for us in our calling. I pray that God will continue to bless you.