Her Late Majesty The Queen approved the nomination of The Very Revd Dr David Monteith, Dean of Leicester, for election as Dean of Canterbury.This appointment has been announced today (11 October) and Dean David, who is also the Chair of the College of Deans of the Church of England, will be installed at Canterbury Cathedral at 3.00pm on Saturday 17 December.• He will lead his last Leicester Cathedral service as Dean of Leicester at St Martins House, Leicester, at 10.30am on Sunday 27 November• A Farewell Evensong Service will be held at St Mary de Castro Church in Leicester at 7.00pm on Sunday 27 NovemberFurther details of all these services will be publicised nearer the time.Leicester Cathedral’s Canon Missioner, The Revd Canon Karen Rooms, has been announced as Acting Dean of Leicester for the interim period before a new appointment is made. She will lead the Cathedral community through the current period of change whilst the building remains closed for the ongoing Leicester Cathedral Revealed work into autumn 2023.The Bishop of Leicester has said that Dean David has had a distinguished ministry and would be greatly missed but went with ‘our love and prayers.’David has overseen significant development and growth enabling Leicester Cathedral to become ‘a beating heart’ for one of the most diverse cities and counties in England.His ministry has included the reinterment of King Richard III and the current major redevelopment project Leicester Cathedral Revealed which secures and equips the Cathedral for worship, witness and welcome for the next 100 years.He first served in Leicester as Canon Chancellor and then as Acting Archdeacon of Leicester before becoming Dean in 2013. His ministry in Leicester beyond the Cathedral has included chairing the St Philip’s Centre helping diverse faiths and cultural communities to live well together and chairing the Bishop’s Rural Commission entitled ‘Deep wells and green pastures’.David shares his life in a Civil Partnership with David Hamilton, a counselling therapist working in palliative and bereavement care.Commenting on his new appointment, Dean David said:“I am overjoyed and humbled to be entrusted with this opportunity for learning and service. Canterbury Cathedral has played a vital part in our Christian story in England but it is also much loved by so many communities across the Anglican Communion. So, I already can see there is much to steward and much to imagine anew as our context reshapes. I have been a priest for many years but I also bring my experience of growing up in the Church of Ireland during the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’. “I’m looking forward to working with Archbishop Justin, Bishop Rose, the Cathedral Chapter and her communities to ensure our worship inspires, our prayer undergirds, our outreach transforms us and others, and our witness reveals more of God’s expansive Kingdom of love, mercy and peace. I hope hospitality in the name of Jesus Christ and profound openness to the entire wider community will mark all we offer especially as we face this challenging time of rising costs and human hardship.“My partner, David, and I have had a place in Whitstable for over 20 years and so we already know Kent well. We are both looking forward to getting to know further the varied communities of the county as well as getting to the seaside more often.”Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby said:“I’m delighted by David’s appointment as Dean of Canterbury. He has been an exceptional Dean of Leicester – and his deep faith and spirituality, creativity, and profound sense of service will be a gift to Canterbury Cathedral and all the communities it serves.“This is a time of hardship, suffering and anxiety for many in this country and worldwide. For over 1,400 years Canterbury Cathedral has been a house of prayer where God is worshipped, the good news of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, and the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with love that overflows to the world around us. I am sure that David will build on the extraordinary ministry of Dean Robert, and continue to develop this is new ways for our twenty-first century world.“We will benefit greatly from David’s experience and perspective, not least from his work in helping diverse faiths and cultural communities to live well together. I share his vision of a Canterbury Cathedral that blesses and serves the people of Canterbury, the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion. I look forward to working with David and I join many in praying for him over the coming months.”The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, said:“It is a delight to welcome David to Canterbury. During his time as Dean of Leicester, David has shown himself to be a person of deep faith and vision, creative and collegiate in his approach. We’re looking forward to having David as part of our diocesan family, and excited for all that he will bring to our mission and ministry in Canterbury and beyond.”The Rt Revd Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester, said:“David has exercised a long and distinguished ministry in Leicester. Most notably he oversaw the re-interment of King Richard III which transformed a small cathedral into a major tourist destination. He has played an active role in interfaith work in the city and chaired a Rural Commission which helped us re-examine the way we support rural churches and communities. He will be greatly missed by the diocese, but he goes with our love and prayers.”The Very Revd Jane Hedges, Acting Dean of Canterbury, said:“We, as members of the Cathedral Chapter are delighted to receive the news of the appointment of the Very Revd David Monteith as our new Dean here at Canterbury. David will bring a huge range of skills and experience with him as well as a passion for building up the life of the Cathedral and enabling it to live out the gospel and reach out to the wider world. We very much look forward to working with David, together serving the life of our city and county and, in partnership with Archbishop Justin and Bishop Rose, supporting the clergy and people of our diocese and of the Anglican Communion.“David and his partner David can be assured of a very warm welcome when he is installed as Dean of Canterbury in December.”As Acting Dean, The Revd Canon Karen Rooms said:“I am delighted be taking on this role with such a great Cathedral team. It’s already a time of transition for us as we journey through the Leicester Cathedral Revealed project, so we are well-placed to continue to be resilient and adjust to change.“It’s exciting to be able to take forward the significant legacy of welcome, worship and witness that Dean David has given us. We wish him every success in his new role as we continue to build for the future here at the heart of Leicester and Leicestershire.”As Canon Missioner at Leicester Cathedral, Karen seeks to engage visitors in issues of social justice and continues to work across faiths through broad based community organising, and as Chair of Trustee of Citizens UK. She is also the Women’s Ministry Enabler for the Diocese of Leicester and Priest-in-Charge at St Nicholas Church, Leicester.
Our regular services will take place nearby:The Sunday 10.30am Cathedral Eucharist has moved to St Martins House next door.Choral Evensong, lunchtime Eucharists, and Morning & Evening Prayer on weekdays take place at St Nicholas Church nearby.As well as continuing to support and care for our Cathedral Community, we are working to provide a welcome to visitors in the city centre and developing new ways of telling our story and history. Our Discipleship programme will continue.Keep up to date with all the exciting developments that are happening by visiting the Project Director Updates page here.We are also excited that on Sunday afternoons we shall visit parish churches across Leicester and Leicestershire with our choirs, clergy and members of our community. This is the Together with Leicester Cathedral project and we look forward to meeting new people and making new friends.To find out more or to see how you can get involved, please email the Cathedral Office.Services will follow this pattern:Sunday Eucharist: 10.30am service in St Martins House. Monday Eucharist: 8.30am in St Nicholas Church. Morning Prayer: 8.30am on Tuesdays–Fridays in St Nicholas Church. Lunchtime Eucharist: Tuesdays, Thursdays and principal saints’ days at 1.00pm in St Nicholas Church. Choral Evensong/Evening Prayer: 5.30pm on Mondays–Fridays in St Nicholas Church (in person and not live-streamed). Evensong sung by the Cathedral Choir during term-time; usually Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.All services are subject to change. We will continue to update our website for up-to-date information.Visiting the Tomb of King Richard IIIAccess to the Tomb of King Richard III will be strictly limited during the building phase. On those days of access we are looking to offer specialised tours to small groups of visitors. Further details will be revealed when we can. Our programme of education visits will continue and will be hosted at the nearby church of St Mary de Castro.School VisitsWhile the Cathedral building is closed for restoration, our schools work will take place at the historic church of St Mary de Castro. Other planned events will be located as appropriate. We are partnering with the King Richard III Visitor Centre to tell our part of the KRIII story.For more information, please get in touch via CathedralBookings@LeicesterCofE.orgChristian Resources Leicester and St Martins HouseChristian Resources Leicester, St Martins House and Café No:7 will be open as normal. Please visit their websites for up-to-date information.Volunteer Activity and WelcomeThroughout the closure period the Cathedral will maintain a welcome desk in St Martins House. This will be staffed by volunteers 11.00am to 3.00pm Monday to Saturday and 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Sundays. Monday to Saturday we will endeavour to maintain a chaplaincy presence for those with pastoral needs.The welcome desk will act as a signposting service and will also provide information about the ongoing building work / archaeological explorations and any forthcoming events. Visitors are welcome to drop in during opening hours where they will be afforded a warm welcome.Volunteer VacanciesNotwithstanding the Cathedral closure, we would welcome applications to join the following teams: Welcomer, Guide, Chaplaincy and Education. For further information please click here.What is happening?Leicester Cathedral Revealed will renew the Cathedral so that it can be its very best as a place of worship, heritage, pilgrimage, hospitality, learning, sanctuary and celebration.Renewing the Cathedral BuildingThe project will repair and restore the Cathedral. It will provide a unified stone floor that will remove all level changes and include energy-efficient underfloor heating throughout; replace failing infrastructure such as boilers, electrical system; install new lighting and AV; restore and reveal the Victorian and Arts & Crafts architectural features; repair much that has deteriorated (particularly stonework and décor); and secure the fabric for the long term.Creating Something NewIt will also construct a new visitor and learning centre, The Chapter House - a striking extension to the Cathedral on the footprint of the Old Song School, thereby preserving the open space of Cathedral Gardens. The Chapter House will provide an exhibition gallery with immersive interpretation, a flexible learning space for school children and community groups, and WCs.TimeframeProject works commenced in the autumn of 2021 and the extensive building works inside and out mean the Cathedral needs to be closed from the beginning of 2022 until autumn 2023.Looking to the FutureLeicester Cathedral Revealed will realise our vision to restore the Cathedral building, renew its sacred spaces, and reaffirm the Cathedral’s place at the centre of a resurgent City and County.
