The Dean & Chapter

The Dean – The Very Reverend Richard Peers

Born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the Very Rev’d Richard Peers trained and worked as a teacher before being ordained in 1993. He became the Sub Dean at Christ Church, Oxford in September 2020; a joint foundation of a University of Oxford college, and the Cathedral church of the Diocese of Oxford. Before moving to Oxford, Richard was Director of Education for the Diocese of Liverpool and CEO of Liverpool Diocesan Schools Trust. He has long exercised a combined ministry in education and as a priest.

Father Richard spent eight years as the head teacher of Trinity All Through School, Lewisham, in London, and has served in parishes in the Dioceses of York, Portsmouth, Lichfield and Southwark. In addition, he was a founder and first Superior of the Sodality of Mary, Mother of Priests, a dispersed community of Anglican priests with members around the world. He has advised other new, emerging expressions of community life in the church.

He has extensive experience as a Spiritual Director, retreat giver and leader of pilgrimages many in Wales. He has been practising meditation, now commonly known as mindfulness, for the whole of his adult life. He is much influenced by Julian of Norwich, Thomas Merton, and the Russian Philokalia.

Father Richard has been the Dean of Llandaff since November 2022 and lives with his partner Jim, a garden writer, and their dog Teilo. Gardens and garden design are a significant part of their life together.

Canon Precentor – The Reverend Canon Ian Yemm

After degree studies in Music and Theology, Ian Yemm trained at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music and enjoyed a successful career as a professional singer and voice teacher. For nearly ten years, he was Coordinating Chaplain at the University of the West of England, Vice-Chair of the Bristol Diocesan Board of Education, and an elected member of the General Synod of the Church of England. After training for ordination at the St Padarn’s Institute in Cardiff, he completed curacy in Cowbridge and first incumbency in Radyr. He is a Vocations Adviser and Spiritual Director and has a Masters degree in Christian Spirituality.

Ian has recently been elected to the Governing Body of the Church in Wales, and installed as Canon Precentor of Llandaff Cathedral, where he has particular responsibility for Worship, the Music Department, and the Cathedral Choir. He is married to Bernhard, who has worked as a Doctor in the NHS for over twenty years.

Canon Chancellor – The Reverend Canon Jan van der Lely

Jan was ordained in 2009 and served in the Diocese of Gloucester before coming to Llandaff as Canon Chancellor in 2019. Prior to ordination she was a secondary school teacher of Religious Studies, Psychology and Sociology, in schools in Cheltenham, Gloucester and in Switzerland. In her last teaching post she was Chaplain to the school.

She holds a Doctorate in Theology, a Master’s degree in Ministry, and a Master’s degree in Psychotherapy and Counselling. Jan is married to Graham who is half Dutch, and a (mostly) retired horticulturalist. Graham is a long standing former governor of Hartpury College and University, and of the University of the West of England.

Archdeacon of Margam – The Venerable Mark Preece

Archdeacon Mark grew up in Port Talbot and has served his entire ministry in the Diocese of Llandaff following his ordination in 1987, including in Penarth, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan.

He joined the Cathedral Chapter in 2014 while Rector of the Benefice of Canton in Cardiff. After 19 years in Canton Mark was appointed to the Cathedral as Canon Precentor. He left the Cathedral at the end of 2023 to become Archdeacon of Margam.

Chapter Canon – The Reverend Canon Sarah Rogers

Sarah has been a clerical canon of the Cathedral since October 2023. She is currently a vicar in the Rhondda Ministry Area and Area Dean of Ystradyfodwg. Immediately prior to that she was Bishop’s Chaplain, having also served in the diocese as Diocesan Youth Chaplain and Vicar of Abercynon after serving as Curate in the (then) Rectorial Benefice of Caerphilly.

Sarah’s knowledge of the Cathedral predates her ordination in 2009 as she was a parishioner between 1993 and 1999. During her time as a parishioner she was an active member of the team of servers, a member of the parish singers as well as volunteering in the shop and tea room. For a time she also acted as a chaperone to the Cathedral Choristers.

Sarah currently lives in the Vicarage in Tonypandy with her dog Rowan.

Chapter Treasurer – Mr Robert Lewis FCA

Rob has been Canon Treasurer since June 2021.  He is a Chartered Accountant and in his “day job” is a partner in global professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he is the Chief Operating Officer of the firm’s UK Restructuring and Forensics business.  As a licensed insolvency practitioner, he advises large businesses on all matters relevant to financial restructuring and insolvency.

Rob brings a huge wealth of financial experience to Chapter and as Treasurer is responsible for the maintenance of the financial wellbeing of the Cathedral.  Primarily this involves ultimate oversight of day to day income and expenditure, together with ensuring that appropriate investment is made in the fabric and ministry of the Cathedral and how funding for this can best be achieved. In his role as Canon Treasurer, he chairs Chapter’s Finance Committee which meets monthly.

Rob is a fluent Welsh speaker and lives in Llandaff with his wife, Blodwen. Both are regular worshippers at the Cathedral.

Lay Canon – Mrs Ceri Weatherall

Ceri was appointed Lay Canon in June 2019 on her retirement as Head Teacher of St Teilo’s Church-in-Wales High School, the largest Faith school in Wales. She taught for 37 years of which 32 were spent working in Church-in-Wales High Schools.

Ceri has extensive experience of teaching, leadership and management within the education sector. Under Ceri’s leadership St Teilo’s school population increased by a third to 1500 students which was housed in a building fit to meet the needs of an economic and socially diverse community. She established an education provision that focused on: Excellence, Equity and Faith for all in her care. This experience of leading a public facing organisation has provided Chapter with advice and guidance regarding Safeguarding, Human Resources and Budget Responsibility.

In 2023 Ceri took on the role of Vice-Chair of Chapter. In this role she has chaired Chapter meetings, appointed and supported Cathedral Staff and with colleagues set out strategic objectives that are transformative, inclusive and transparent.

Ceri has two children and lives with her husband Malcolm in St Fagans. She worships at St Mary’s St Fagans, a church within the Garth Ministry Area. She has previously lived and worked in Llandaff and has welcomed the opportunity as a Lay Canon to re-engage with the families and community she once worshiped alongside and whose many children she had the privilege of teaching.

Lay Canon – Mr Paul Bennett

Paul has been a Lay Canon since June 2019. He is a solicitor and a partner in a large legal practice in Neath. He is currently the Acting Senior Coroner for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, a position he has held since June 2020, having previously been an assistant coroner in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot for the preceding eight years.

Paul has held the position of Benefice Warden in Neath for some eight years before the formation of the Afon Nedd Ministry Area (MA), when he took on the role of MA Treasurer, in January 2022.

Paul was heavily involved in the re-ordering project of Saint David’s Church, Neath in the late 1990s which included significant grant funding for capital works and continued when the tower of the Church underwent substantial repair work at a cost of over £1m. In his role as MA Treasurer, he currently oversees the financial management of seven constituent churches and chairs the Finance Group of church treasurers which meets monthly. He is a Trustee of the MA and sits on both the MA Council and the MA Leadership Team.

Paul is a member of Saint David’s Church Choir and its longest serving chorister with over fifty years of service. His wife, Helen, is the MA Administrator and a sub-warden at Saint David’s Church.