Bee Is For Bishop

Politics and prayer, science and religion, Norfolk and mountains – a bishop with a mission to find common ground

- Rowan Mantell

Five welcome services will be held across Norfolk for the Rt Rev Bishop Graham Usher this month. The new bishop of Norwich has settled into the Cathedral Close with his wife, two teenagers and two springer spaniels - and 350,000 bees.

Bishop Graham, not to be confused with Bishop Graham James, who retired earlier this year after 20 years is, like his predecessor when he arrived, one of the youngest bishops in the Church of England.

The two Bishop Grahams have many more similarities, and not just the mitres and propensity for wearing purple which come with the job, but a love of welcome – both gratitude for being welcomed and desire to make others welcome. They also both have wives with medical careers. Dr Rachel Usher is a GP while Julie James nursed at the Priscilla Bacon Lodge hospice for many years.

The new Bishop Graham has a science background himself, taking a degree in ecology before moving on to theology. And he sees no conflict between faith and science. Both explore worlds beyond what can be immediately perceived. “I’ve spent many hours looking down microscopes and for me that just contributes to the wonder of God’s creation,” said Bishop Graham.