The next Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, was announced on Thursday 6 July at St Mark’s Church of England School, with pupils from year 3 up to year 6 gathering to welcome him.
Bishop Philip talked to them about his sense of ‘coming home’ to the diocese where he first became a Christian, and then the children were given an opportunity to ask some really thoughtful questions – including “Are you happy being a bishop?” and “What’s the worst thing about being a bishop?”
Two year 6 students shared their impressions of meeting Bishop Philip with the Hampshire Chronicle:
Jessica Cookson, a Year 6 pupil, told the Hampshire Chronicle: “He seems really nice, and quite relaxed. He didn’t seem too stressed about becoming the new bishop. I think he will be really good because he seems very kind and I like people who are kind because it makes them easier to talk.”
I feel like the bishop is a very genuine person he is very calm, very relaxed but also very truthful in saying he’s nervous to start the job which I really think is a good quality to have as a bishop.
Year 6 Student Harnett Kaur, Age 11
Headteacher of St Mark’s CE School, Stephanie Bryant, said “It was such a huge privilege to be selected for this momentous occasion. Bishop Philip will be a great ambassador for our Church schools.” St Mark’s in the diocese’s first ‘all-through’ school, taking children through from aged 4 up to 16, with a foundation of the “core Christian values of love, service and belonging”.
Bishop Philip was so appreciative of the warm welcome and the children who engaged so thoughtfully with the occasion. He praised “the fantastic way the school and the church are integrated together” in a “creative and loving approach needed to reach missing generations”.
See all the photos from the day on the diocesan Flickr account.
