Background
Williams was born in Dublin, Ireland and educated at Saint Andrew"s College, Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, and Street John"s College, Nottingham.
Williams was born in Dublin, Ireland and educated at Saint Andrew"s College, Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, and Street John"s College, Nottingham.
Trinity College.
He was ordained a deacon in 1974 and a priest in 1975. From 1974-1977 he served as curate at Street Andrew"s and Street Mary"s, Maidenhead, Diocese of Oxford. He moved to Northern Ireland to become Assistant Chaplain at Queen"s University Belfast.
From 1981-1988, he was a religious broadcasting producer for British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Ulster.
After this he served as rector of Street John"s, Newcastle, County Down, until 1993. Williams served as leader of the Corrymeela Community, a Christian group committed to promoting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, from 1994 to 2003.
He was appointed a canon of Street Patrick’s Cathedral in 2002 and in 2003 served as rector of Holy Trinity and Street Silas with Immanuel in North Belfast in the Diocese of Connor. President Mary McAleese was among those in attendance at the ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.
In addition to serving Ireland as a diocesan bishop, Williams retains an active interest in working for reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
He recently joined with four other clergy from north Belfast in urging the Northern Ireland Executive to put more resources into addressing sectarianism in its Programme for Government.