History stands to be made at St Davids Cathedral today as its doors will be formally locked when the Electoral College meets to appoint a new Bishop.

A total of 47 people representing churches from all over Wales will gather inside to nominate and vote on a confidential list of candidates.

The College has up to three days to reach its decision. If it fails to elect anyone, the decision passes to the Bench of Bishops.

Any candidate receiving two-thirds of the votes of those present is declared Bishop-Elect. Otherwise, the College returns to the nomination stage and the cycle starts afresh.

Once a decision is made, the Cathedral will re-open and the Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, will make the announcement at the west door.

The Bishop-elect will have up to 28 days to accept the position. If they accept, the election will be formally confirmed at a Sacred Synod service held shortly afterward. Then the new bishop will be consecrated at Bangor Cathedral, the seat of the current Archbishop of Wales.

The election follows the retirement of Joanna Penberthy, who served as Bishop of St Davids for six years.

The new bishop will be the 130th Bishop of St David's, a diocese which takes in the west Wales counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.