Bishop Richard has appointed the following people to vacancies in the College:

The Revd Jeannetta Stokes, Vicar of the Worfield Benefice and Rural Dean of the Severn Borders Deanery, will be installed as Prebendary de Pionia Parva. Jeannetta will succeed the Revd Prebendary Julie Read who retired at the end of July 2025.

The Revd John Beesley, Rector of the Corvedale Benefice, will be installed as Prebendary de Prato Majore in succession to the Revd Prebendary Robert Ward who retired at the end of April 2025.

We congratulate them most warmly and look forward to their collation and installation on Sunday 12 October during 3.30 pm Choral Evensong, which all are welcome to attend.

Notes:

Prebendaries are senior clergy, appointed by the Bishop in recognition of their ministry and giving a particular link with the Cathedral.  Some Cathedrals call their Prebendaries ‘Honorary Canons’.  Prebendary is the term used, originally, in ‘non-monastic’ Cathedrals such as Hereford – a ‘Prebend’ was a portion of land – often a farm, the income of which provided an income to support the Prebendary.  The income for such posts has long since disappeared but the title remains as a rather lovely tradition!

 Lay Canons were instituted much more recently, as part of the revision of the Cathedral’s Constitution and Statutes in 2000.  Each Lay Canon is appointed in recognition of their work and ministry within the diocese and again, provides a special link between Cathedral and diocese.

 Prebendaries and Lay Canons, together, make up the College of Canons.  Their chief work is to:

• to uphold in your prayers and support the work of the cathedral;
• to preach at Evensong in the cathedral about once a year, if you are ordained or a licensed reader;
• to attend the annual meeting of the College of Canons, generally on or near the Feast of St Thomas of Hereford in October;
• to elect a new Bishop, following nomination by the Crown.