Home

Church of Ireland Home

Press Releases

New Ecumenical Canon in Armagh

The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell, has appointed the Revd Dr Heather Morris, the General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Ireland, as an Ecumenical Canon of St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh.  The installation of the new Canon will take place at a service of Choral Evensong on Tuesday, 13th September 2022, at 7.30pm.  During this service Dr Kenneth Milne, the Church of Ireland Historiographer, will also be installed as a Lay Canon.
The Revd Dr Heather Morris.
The Revd Dr Heather Morris.

Provision for two Ecumenical Canons was included in a new Statute governing St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, enacted by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in 2011. The Ecumenical Canons are appointed by the Archbishop of Armagh for a term of five years, which may be renewed. They join the Dean, Precentor, Chancellor, Treasurer, Archdeacons and four Prebendaries as members of the Cathedral Chapter (but may not vote).  Dr Morris will succeed the Revd Dr Tony Davidson who retired at the beginning of the summer.

Welcoming the appointment, the Dean of Armagh, the Very Revd Shane Forster, said: ‘I have known and worked alongside Dr Heather Morris in the Church Leaders’ Group (Ireland) for many years and am well acquainted with her many gifts and skills.  Heather is an eloquent preacher with a pastoral heart, who is genuinely interested in and committed to ecumenical outreach across this island, and I know that she will receive a warm welcome in her new role in Armagh.’ 

In accepting the appointment, Dr Morris said: ‘The Cathedral, placed as it is in the ecclesiastical capital, has played a significant role in the history of Ireland and, continues to do so under the leadership of the Archbishop, not least as a place in which any and all are welcomed in Christ’s name.  I am honoured to be invited to serve as a Canon and look forward to being part of the life and witness of the Cathedral.’

Church of Ireland Press Office


Tel: (028/048) 9082 8880
Duty mobile: +44 (0)7774 295 369

Our use of cookies

Some cookies are necessary for us to manage how our website behaves while other optional, or non-necessary, cookies help us to analyse website usage. You can Accept All or Reject All optional cookies or control individual cookie types below.

You can read more in our Cookie Notice

Functional

These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytics cookies

Analytical cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage.