Background
Rice Jones was born in Capel Curig in Caernarvonshire, and spoke Welsh as his first language.
Rice Jones was born in Capel Curig in Caernarvonshire, and spoke Welsh as his first language.
Bachelor in Welsh with honors, St. David's College, 1955. Bachelor in Theology Tripos, Cambridge, 1957. Master of Arts, Cambridge, 1961.
Graduate, St. Michael's College.
He read Welsh at Street David"s College, Lampeter, graduating in 1955, and then read theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, graduating in 1957. They had a daughter together. Rice Jones trained for the ministry at Street Michael"s College, Llandaff.
He was ordained as a deacon in Bangor in 1958 and as a priest the following year.
The early years of his ecclesiastical career were assisted by the patronage of the Bishop of Bangor, Gwilym Williams, who recognised his talents. He was a curate in Llanfairisgaer for four years, also serving with the Student Christian Movement in Wales.
He was Director of Education in the Diocese of Bangor from 1965 to 1975. He was Prebendary of Llanfair for one year, from 1978 to 1979, before becoming Dean of Brecon Cathedral.
He was installed as Bishop of Street Asaph in 1982, and as Archbishop of Wales in 1991.
He supported the ordination of women, but his first attempt to bring a measure in 1994 to make the reform failed. His second attempt, in 1996, was passed, and the first female priests were ordained the following year. He courted controversy by condemning the North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombing of Kosovo in 1999.
At the Lambeth Conference in 1998, he persuaded the Welshmen present (including Rowan Williams) to entertain their guests during a Welsh cultural evening by singing or telling jokes.
He took part in the special service to mark the opening of the National Assembly for Wales in May 1999. He retired in 1999, shortly after his 65th birthday, and was succeeded as Archbishop of Wales by Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth, who would later become the Archbishop of Canterbury.
He was a member of the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards and regularly attended the National Eisteddfod.
Married Meriel Anne Thomas, 1968.