The Church of England’s Diocese in Europe announces the death of the Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Rowell:
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Rowell, who was Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe until 2013, has died peacefully after a short illness on Trinity Sunday 11 June 2017. He was 74.
He was enthroned as Bishop in Europe in November 2001 after 7 years as Suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke.
A number of tributes have already been paid to Bishop Geoffrey, including this “In Memoriam” from his successor, Rt. Rev. Dr. Robert Innes, Bishop in Europe:
“The news of Bishop Geoffrey Rowell’s death is a source of sadness and sorrow to many, including me personally. I first met Geoffrey in 2005, when I joined the Diocese in Europe. I experienced him as unfailingly kind, warm and hospitable. He stayed at our home in Belgium on a number of occasions. I recall with affection long conversations over a bottle of whisky late into the night. When I was appointed his successor, he was wonderfully encouraging and helpful. Geoffrey valued highly his friendship with his clergy, and those of us who served as his priests and deacons will miss him dearly.”
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
