Fr Edward John Lewis
After graduating from the University of Wales (degrees in Education and Theology) Father Edward trained for the priesthood at Chichester Theological College. (The present Bishop of Chichester being Principal). He was ordained for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon in 1983 and served his curacies in Pontardawe (Llangiwg) and Morriston. The then Archbishop of Wales appointed him to be Vicar of three parishes in the Diocese of St David’s, Tregaron, Strata Florida and Ystradmeurig. He was also chaplain to Tregaron Hospital and Chaplain to the Royal British Legion. Answering a call to healthcare chaplaincy he later moved to the Diocese of Lichfield and was for twelve years Senior Chaplain at Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust. He was also Asst. Area Dean of Walsall, Chaplain to Walsall ATC, and a Trustee of ACROSS to Lourdes. From 2000 to 2010 he was the Church of England’s national officer for Healthcare Chaplaincy (Chief Executive of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council) based at Church House Westminster. The role involved looking after the needs of the 325 whole time Anglican chaplains and 1500 part time chaplains. Working with the NHS, Dioceses, the other Christian and World Faiths. From 2010 he was asked to be priest in charge of St John’s Church Watford, having been supply priest there since September 2007.On May 20th he was inducted as Vicar of St Mary’s Kenton by The Rt Reverend Peter Wheatley.
He was appointed a Justice of The Peace in 1993 and Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts in 1999. In 2001 he joined the Institute of Directors, was awarded a Masters in Bioethics in 2007 (University of Surrey) and in 2008 was appointed a Chaplain to Her Majesty The Queen and member of the ecclesiastical household. He is also a visiting lecturer at St Mary’s University College Twickenham, an associate priest at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham; a member of the Confraternity of The Blessed Sacrament and the Society of Mary.
