Eastbourne reverend is first woman to be named the new Dean of Exeter
Reverend Arwen Mary Folkes was named the Dean of Exeter by Downing Street today, November 10.
The new dean is currently the reverend for St Mary-the-Virgin, Eastbourne and is ‘deeply-rooted in the South West’.
Arwen was the first woman to be a vicar in the church in Eastbourne.
She said: “It seems I have been entrusted with a new lighthouse, and a rather bigger one this time!
“I was born in Barnstaple while my father was a lighthouse keeper on the North Devon coast, so coming to Exeter feels very much like coming home.
“I have always believed a church should be like a lighthouse: steady, watchful and ready to shine for anyone caught in a storm.
“Exeter Cathedral has been that kind of Christ-light for centuries, through many seasons, and I am honoured and humbled to be called as one of her ‘keepers’ by serving as the 72nd Dean.”
Arwen will be installed as the new Dean at Exeter Cathedral on Sunday, May 9, 2027.
On Tuesday, November 10 she will be meeting staff at Exeter Cathedral, as well as congregants at Evensong at 5:30pm.