The Reverend Matthew Vernon was installed as the new canon pastor by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Right Reverend Nigel Stock, at Evensong on Sunday.

For the past eight years, Mr Vernon has worked at St John's Cathedral, in Hong Kong. He takes over from Peter Barham, who moved to Ponteland, in the Diocese of Newcastle, in August.

Mr Vernon, who moves to Bury with his wife Kate and three young children, will take care of the oversight of pastoral care of the cathedral community, its congregations, volunteers and staff. He will arrange baptisms, weddings and funerals and have particular involvement with the cathedral's work with children and young people, visitors and people of other faiths.

"I am excited about the challenges which this role will bring in a new context for me and my family.

"I look forward to getting to know Suffolk and its people," he said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click here to go back to our main news index.