An inked priest has flaunted her new tattoo – and said it proves that anyone is welcome at church.
Reverend Wendy Dalrymple recently began her new role as Precentor and Head of Worship at Canterbury Cathedral. The 48-year-old celebrated the special occasion by getting a new tattoo – a feather signifying God's protection – to her seven other religiously-inspired inkings.
Earlier this year she faced a lot of criticism after she posted a photo of her tattoos following the announcement of her new role. She said there were "misogynistic" online trolls who deemed her body art inappropriate for a woman of the cloth.
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Now she hails her tattoos as conversation starters and proof of an ever-diversifying and accepting Church of England where everyone is welcome.
Rev Dalrymple said: "In the summer, when my new role was announced, there were some people trolling me saying some terrible things. But I began my job on November 5 and, in the end, it was quite a positive experience.
"I had an outpouring of support about being a priest with tattoos. People said, ‘My daughter’ or ‘My daughter’s partner has tattoos and didn’t know if they could come to church, and now they do’.
"The big thing is just to recognise that everyone is welcome to visit Canterbury Cathedral – it doesn’t matter what you look like or where you are from."
Rev Dalrymple’s latest tattoo depicts a feather on her right arm, which was designed for her by a member of her former congregation at Loughborough, Leicestershire. The feather relates to a specific passage of the Bible – Psalm 91 verse four – which reads: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."
All eight of Rev Dalrymple's tattoos are in some way linked to her religious beliefs, and she has no plans to stop decorating her body anytime soon. She said all her tattoos speak to her faith, her vocation as a priest and some things that are really important in that.
"Quite a few also speak to the role of women in the Christian faith," she added. "They’re artistic pieces that have religious connotations.
"One on my left arm is about Christmas – through imagery, it talks about the role of Mary bringing Jesus to us."
Rev Dalrymple also believes her tattoos break down barriers and provide a great conversation starter, as well as proving that anyone and everyone is welcome in the church. She encourages anyone to tell her stories about their own tattoos.
When it came to the backlash she received, she sort of expected it. Or at least she wasn't surprised by some people's views, but it did upset her.
She continued: "I was surprised how much interest there was. That was an early indication of just how important Canterbury Cathedral is in people’s lives. But, sadly, I was not that surprised either [at the backlash], as any woman in public life will tell you.
"People have opinions about your appearance and there is a lot of misogyny out there. But that does not mean it’s not still quite painful.
"I was really grateful for the hundreds or thousands of messages of encouragement that drowned out these nasty things."
Responding to internet trolls reacting to her tattoos, colleagues and members of the public – including the Dean of Canterbury, David Monteith, and fellow tatted priest Reverend Alan Moss – lined up to defend Rev Dalrymple.
Mr Monteith wrote on Twitter (now X): “We announced the appointment of our new precentor last weekend. Just so saddened by the abuse she has received.
"Determined to shape a cathedral which addresses misogyny, entitled power and prejudice because the love of Jesus requires that."
Though the online abuse she received for her body art upset her, Rev Dalrymple says it could be a matter of churchgoers becoming accustomed to tattooed priests – adding that the first woman was only ordained to the priesthood around 25 years ago.
She said: "I don’t know if a male would get the same treatment, but some of the comments were directly about my gender – that my top was too tight and whether I was a ‘natural blonde’.
“I wonder if I was male if I would get similar comments. Sadly, not everyone is comfortable with women clergy. To some people, it’s still quite new.
"But, broadly, my experience has been full of support. There is an element of people growing used to it – like there is with the tattoos. People might look twice at first, but they get used to it."
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