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Canons of Christ Church  Cathedral
Grafton

In medieval England, the Canons of a Cathedral were a group of clergy who assisted the Dean in the mission and ministry of the Cathedral. They often lived within the cloister of the Cathedral but that is not the case in Grafton.

 

The Canons of Christ Church Cathedral in Grafton are a group of clergy and lay members of the Diocese of Grafton who have been elected or appointed to serve on the Chapter of the Cathedral.

 

Canon Emeritus;

       The Revd Canon Emeritus Dr John Barrett (appointed by               the Bishop)

 

Four Clerical Canons;

  • The Revd Canon Angela Dutton (appointed by the Bishop),

  • The Revd Canon Dway Goon Chew (elected by the House of clergy at Synod),

  • The Revd Canon Grahame Yager (elected by the House of Clergy at Synod)
    and

  • The Revd Canon Zoe Everingham (appointed by the Dean).

Four Lay Canons;

  • Canon Professor Robert Weatherby (elected by the House of Laity at Synod),

  • Canon Heather McKinnon (appointed by the Bishop),

  • Canon Lyn Johnston (appointed by Bishop-in-Council)
    and

  • Canon Nick Johnstone.

Honorary Canons

The Bishop may also appoint a small number of additional people as Honorary Canons of the Cathedral. These people may have designated roles within the Cathedral or the Diocese, but they are not members of the Cathedral Chapter. Our current Honorary Canons are:

  • The Revd Canon Camellia Flanagan, TSSF (Canon Pastor at the Cathedral),

  • The Revd Canon Judy Edwards,

  • The Revd Canon Dr Greg Jenks

  • The Revd Canon Sally Miller
    and

  • The Reverend Canon Lenore Parker

 

CANONS

 

Canons are definitely amongst the big guns of the Church of England, although perhaps the smallest of them.   Canon is the title given to a cleric who is a member of a cathedral and derives from the fact that he is bound by the rules or canons of that cathedral.   Some canons have specific roles within the life of the cathedral eg treasurer or precentor and are known as residentiary canons and, with the dean, form the chapter, which is the governing body of the cathedral, responsible on the one hand for the maintenance of worship within the cathedral and on the other for the maintenance of the cathedral buildings. There are also honorary canons, clergy whom it is desired to honour because of their service to the diocese; these have stalls in the cathedral for their use when attending particular services.   Broadly speaking, the residentiary canons form the lesser and all the canons the greater chapter; it is the lesser chapter that is the executive body referred to above.

SOURCE: Church of England Companion

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