Salisbury Cathedral to install five new Canons

Five new Canons will be installed in Salisbury Cathedral by the Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Revd Nicholas Holtam, during sung Eucharist to celebrate the Feast of the Apostles Philip and James at 5.30pm on Wednesday 1 May.

Mrs Rosemary Macdonald has accepted the Bishop of Salisbury’s invitation to be installed as a Lay Canon of the Cathedral, and the Revd David Linaker, Revd Charles Mitchell-Innes and Revd David Seymour have accepted his invitation to be installed as Non-Residentiary Canons of the Cathedral. The new Archdeacon of Wilts, the Venerable Ruth Worsley, will be installed into the Cathedral’s College of Canons during the same service.

Each Canon is allocated their own stall in the Quire of the Cathedral. Rosemary Macdonald, who is the Chief Executive of the Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon and very much involved with the Diocese, will occupy ‘Warminster’. Charles Mitchell-Innes, who works tirelessly in his role as Vicar of the Close in pastoral support and care, will occupy ‘Bishopstone’. David Linaker, Rural Dean and priest of St Thomas’s, Salisbury’s city centre church, and also involved with the Diocesan Board of Education, will occupy ‘Wilsford & Woodford’. David Seymour, Rural Dean of Blackmore Vale, will occupy ‘Chardstock’ and Ruth Worsley, who was recently appointed as the Archdeacon of Wilts, will occupy “Ogborne”.

Once installed they join Salisbury Cathedral’s College of Canons. Established in 2001 as the successor to the ‘Great Chapter’ it includes Lay and Non-Residentiary Canons and meets twice a year. The College helps to provide feedback to the Cathedral on its activities and to inform the policy decisions of Chapter, its governing body. It also provides an opportunity for the Cathedral to further its role in the wider diocesan and civic life within the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset.

The Dean of Salisbury, the Very Revd June Osborne, said “We are delighted to be welcoming these five new members to our College of Canons. They will bring us fresh insights and valuable experience from their specialisms, helping the Cathedral engage with the widest range of organizations and opinions throughout the diocese and civic community. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a varied and impressive array of talent and knowledge in the College and we thank all existing Canons too for the service they provide to the Cathedral”.