Wells Cathedral welcomes priest who saved sacred texts

By Laura Linham 2nd Jun 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1 hour ago

Wells Cathedral welcomed a priest who helped save hundreds of sacred manuscripts, books and scrolls from persecution in Iraq to its Chained Library this week.

Father Ayoob Adwar, now an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Southwark, was formerly a monk and priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq.

According to Wells Cathedral, his monastery and church of St George in Mosul, Nineveh, and the wider diocese were violently destroyed during a persecution of Christians from 2003 onwards.

The Cathedral said two bishops and 11 of Father Ayoob's brother priests were murdered during those years.

Many sacred texts were destroyed during the persecution.

But as librarian of his monastery, Father Ayoob organised the transfer of hundreds of sacred manuscripts, books and scrolls.

Some were handwritten from the sixth century.

The Cathedral said he took them in his car to be hidden in deep caves in the mountains of northern Iraq.

In 2014, Father 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, Father Ayoob came to England after being appointed by Bishop Michael Beasley to a parish in St Albans Diocese.

He moved to the Diocese of Southwark last year.

During his visit to Wells Cathedral, librarian Jolene Stephens showed him a collection of books in Arabic, Aramaic and other Eastern languages.

The collection included the polyglot Bishop Walton Bible of 1614.

Reflecting after the visit, Father Ayoob said: "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 tour of the Chained Library, Father Ayoob was welcomed to Choral Evensong by The Dean.