Ficer newydd i Eryri wedi swydd wag chwe blynedd
Mae'r Canon Naomi Starkey wedi ei phenodi'n Arweinydd Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Eryri, sydd wedi bod heb ficer ers bron i chwe blynedd. Mae Bro Eryri yn cynnwys ardaloedd fel Penisa’rwaun, Llanberis a Nant Peris ym Mharc Cenedlaethol Eryri.
Mae penodiad y Canon Naomi Starkey yn dechrau pennod newydd i'r gymuned Gristnogol sydd wedi bod heb arweinyddiaeth ysbrydol llawn amser am gyfnod estynedig. Mae'r penodiad hwn yn foment allweddol i Fro Eryri, gan symboleiddio gobaith ac ymrwymiad wedi'i adfywio i dyfu'r eglwys yn yr Ardal Weinidogaeth.
Bydd Naomi yn dod ag egni ffres, syniadau newydd, ac arweinyddiaeth gref.
Wrth groesawu Naomi i Fro Eryri, dywed David Parry, Archddiacon Bangor, "Rwy'n teimlo’n gyffrous oherwydd bydd gan bentrefi Bro Eryri offeiriad plwyf llawn amser am y tro cyntaf ers bron i chwe blynedd.
"Mae pawb wedi gweithio'n galed i gynnal gweinidogaeth leol ac rydym yn barod i symud ymlaen gyda chyffro mawr i’r dyfodol. Bydd Naomi yn dod ag egni ffres, syniadau newydd, ac arweinyddiaeth gref i Ardal Weinidogaeth ac mae’n barod i rannu newyddion da am Grist gyda hyd yn oed mwy o bobl. Mae hyn yn newyddion da iawn, mewn gwirionedd."
Medd Naomi, "Rwy'n teimlo'n freintiedig o gael fy mhenodi i'r rôl newydd hon ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weithio gyda chymunedau Bro Eryri. Bydd hi'n anodd ffarwelio â phobl Bro Padrig ac rydw i mor ddiolchgar iddyn nhw am eu cefnogaeth a'u caredigrwydd ac am bopeth rydyn ni wedi'i ddysgu gyda'n gilydd."
Ers 2019 mae Naomi wedi bod yn Arweinydd Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Padrig ar Ynys Môn. Mae hi wedi bod yn gyfrifol am saith eglwys ar draws gogledd-orllewin Ynys Môn, o Fae Cemaes i Lanfaethlu.
Mae Naomi yn eiriolwr dros gadw adeiladau eglwysig ar agor gymaint â phosibl.
Er gwaethaf amhariad y pandemig, mae Naomi wedi mwynhau datblygu bywyd addoli Bro Padrig. Mae grwpiau bach yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd ar gyfer gweddi dawel a hefyd i astudio a myfyrio. Mae gwasanaeth coffa i deuluoedd mewn profedigaeth wedi dod yn ddigwyddiad blynyddol; mae gwasanaethau coffa wedi nodi rhai o'r llongddrylliadau hanesyddol yn yr ardal; a diolchgarwch y cynhaeaf yng Nghemaes bellach ar ffurf bendith anifail anwes!
Mae Naomi yn eiriolwr dros gadw adeiladau eglwysig ar agor gymaint â phosibl, gan helpu pobl leol i gysylltu â'r adeilad a chroesawu ymwelwyr. Mae taflenni gweddi, llyfrynnau ac arweinlyfrau cofrodd wedi bod yn amhrisiadwy wrth helpu ymwelwyr i ddod yn bererinion, gan ddysgu mwy o'r hanes ysbrydol yn ogystal â'r bensaernïaeth.
Mae pob un o'r tair eglwys leiaf a mwyaf anghysbell ym Mro Padrig bellach wedi'i dynodi'n 'fetws', gan ddefnyddio'r gair Cymraeg traddodiadol i atgoffa addolwyr ac ymwelwyr fel ei gilydd mai 'tai gweddi' yw'r rhain, ar agor 24/7 i bobl ddod i weddïo neu i gael llonyddwch.
Talodd John Harvey, Archddiacon Môn, deyrnged i'w chyfnod ym Mro Padrig gan ddweud, "Bydd Archddiaconiaeth Ynys Môn yn drist bod Naomi yn mynd o'n cymrodoriaeth - mae hi wedi cael gweinidogaeth greadigol ac arloesol gydag eglwysi a chymunedau Bro Padrig, ac mae wedi cyfrannu'n ddychmygus at ein bywyd Synod. Bydd ei phrofiad a'i mewnwelediad yn rhan mor gadarnhaol o'r bennod newydd hon yn stori Bro Eryri, ac rwy'n dymuno bendith Duw ar bopeth sydd i ddod."
Mae Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Eryri yn edrych ymlaen yn eiddgar at yr effaith gadarnhaol y bydd y Canon yn ei chael fel Arweinydd Ardal Weinidogaeth.
Ynglŷn â Naomi
Cafodd ei hordeinio yn 2014, a daeth Naomi i weinidogaeth eglwysig o gefndir ym maes cyhoeddi a newyddiaduraeth. Treuliodd 18 mlynedd fel golygydd gyda Chymrodoriaeth Darllen y Beibl (BRF), yn cynhyrchu llyfrau a nodiadau darllen y Beibl a hefyd yn ysgrifennu rhai ei hun. Mae cyfleoedd i ysgrifennu yn parhau gydag adolygiadau llyfrau achlysurol ar gyfer y Church Times, set flynyddol o nodiadau darllen y Beibl ar gyfer BRF, yn ogystal â sgriptiau darlledu achlysurol ar gyfer gorsafoedd y BBC, Radio Wales a Radio Cymru.
Dechreuodd ei diddordeb yng Nghymru a'r Gymraeg yn ystod gwyliau yng ngogledd Cymru yn 2009. Dechreuodd ddysgu'r iaith cyn symud i'r canolbarth yn 2011, ychydig a feddylia ar y pryd y byddai'n offeryn dyddiol ar gyfer bywyd a gweinidogaeth yn y pen draw! Mae hi'n awyddus i annog dysgwyr i fagu hyder wrth siarad a defnyddio'r Gymraeg, ar ôl elwa'n fawr ar y math hwn o anogaeth dros y blynyddoedd.
Yn ddiweddar, mae Naomi wedi ysgwyddo cyfrifoldeb ehangach dros yr Eglwys yng Nghymru fel dewisydd ar gyfer hyfforddiant gweinidogol; ym mis Hydref 2023 fe'i penodwyd yn ganon Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor.
New vicar for Snowdonia after a six-year vacancy
Canon Naomi Starkey has been appointed as Ministry Area Leader of Bro Eryri, which has been without a full-time vicar for nearly six years. Bro Eryri covers areas such as Penisa’rwaun, Llanberis and Nant Peris in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.
The appointment of Canon Naomi Starkey ushers a new chapter for the Christian community which has been without full-time spiritual leadership for an extended period. This appointment is a pivotal moment for Bro Eryri, symbolising hope and a reinvigorated commitment to growing the church within the Ministry Area.
Naomi will bring fresh energy, new ideas, and strong leadership.
Welcoming Naomi to Bro Eryri, David Parry, Archdeacon of Bangor says, “I am excited that the villages of Bro Eryri will have a full-time parish priest for the first time in nearly six years.
“Everyone has worked hard to sustain local ministry and we are ready to move forward with great excitement for the future. Naomi will bring fresh energy, new ideas, and strong leadership to a Ministry Area ready to share the good news of Christ with even more people. This is really good news indeed.”
Naomi says, “I'm humbled to have been appointed to this new role and I'm looking forward very much to working with the communities of Bro Eryri. It'll be hard saying goodbye to the people of Bro Padrig and I'm so grateful to them for their support and kindness and for all that we have learned together.”
Since 2019 Naomi has been Ministry Area Leader for Bro Padrig on Anglesey. She has had responsibility for seven churches across north west Anglesey, from Cemaes Bay to Llanfaethlu.
Naomi is an advocate for keeping church buildings open as much as possible.
Despite the disruption of the pandemic, Naomi has enjoyed developing the worshipping life of Bro Padrig. Small groups meet regularly for silent prayer and also study and reflection. A memorial service for bereaved families has become an annual event, services of commemoration have marked some of the historic shipwrecks in the area, and harvest thanksgiving in Cemaes now takes the form of a pet blessing.
Naomi is an advocate for keeping church buildings open as much as possible, helping local people to connect with the building and welcoming visitors. Prayer leaflets, booklets and souvenir guidebooks have proved invaluable in helping visitors become pilgrims, learning more of the spiritual history as well as the architecture.
Each of the three smallest and most remote churches in Bro Padrig is now designated as ‘betws’, using the traditional Welsh word to remind worshippers and visitors alike that these are above all ‘houses of prayer’, open 24/7 for people to come and pray or simply be still.
John Harvey, Archdeacon of Anglesey, paid tribute to her time at Bro Padrig saying, “Ynys Môn Archdeaconry will be sorry that Naomi is going from our fellowship – she’s had a creative and pioneering ministry with the churches and communities of Bro Padrig, and has contributed imaginatively to our Synod life. Her experience and insight will be such a positive part of this new chapter in Bro Eryri’s story, and I wish her God’s blessing in all that’s to come.”
We give thanks to all who kept worshipping life alive within Bro Eryri and look forward with enthusiasm to the positive impact Canon Naomi will make as Ministry Area Leader.
About Canon Naomi Starkey
Ordained in 2014, Naomi came to church ministry from a background in publishing and journalism. She spent 18 years as an editor with Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF), producing books and Bible reading notes and also writing some of her own. Writing opportunities continue with occasional book reviews for the Church Times, an annual set of Bible reading notes for BRF, as well as occasional broadcast scripts for BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru.
Her interest in Wales and the Welsh language was kindled on a holiday to north Wales in 2009. She began learning the language before moving to mid-Wales in 2011, little knowing that it would end up as a daily tool for life and ministry! She is keen to encourage learners to develop confidence in speaking and using Welsh, having benefitted greatly from such encouragement over the years.
Recently, Naomi has taken on a wider responsibility for the Church in Wales as a selector for ministerial training; in October 2023 she was appointed a canon of Saint Deiniol's Cathedral Bangor.