29/05/2026
📚 We had a special visitor to our Chained Library this week.
Father Ayoob Adwar, who is now an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Southwark, was formerly a monk and priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq. His monastery and church of St George, Mosul (Nineveh) and whole diocese were violently destroyed in a full scale persecution of Christians from 2003 onwards. Two bishops and 11 of his brother priests were murdered during these years.
Many sacred texts were destroyed during the persecution, but as the Librarian of his monastery he was able to organise the transfer of hundreds of sacred manuscripts, books and scrolls (some handwritten from the Sixth Century) taking them in his car to be hidden in deep caves in the mountains of Northern Iraq.
In 2014, Fr Ayoob escaped to Canada where he was received into the Anglican Communion. He served a curacy in Vancouver with acting Archdeacon of Wells the Ven Jonathan LLoyd as his rector. Seven years ago, Fr Ayoob came to England on being appointed by Bishop Michael Beasley to a parish in St Alban’s Diocese, before moving to the Diocese of Southwark last year.
Our Librarian Jolene Stephens was delighted to welcome Fr Ayoob and show him a collection of our books in Arabic, Aramaic and other Eastern languages, including the polyglot Bishop Walton Bible of 1614.
Fr Ayoob reflected after his visit: "It was a deep experience for me to read, hold and even smell again beautiful and sacred books in my languages that you have here safely at Wells Cathedral – it brought back both joy and sorrow in my heart and soul. Thank you for this very special experience. And thank you for the wonderful work of your Chained Library."
After his Library tour, Fr Ayoob was warmly welcomed to Choral Evensong by The Dean.
