23.11.2021
New Canon elected to St Patrick’s Cathedral Chapter
A former choral scholar and lay vicar choral of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin is returning to the national cathedral as a member of the Chapter.
The Reverend Paul Arbuthnot, who has been Rector of Cobh and Glanmire Union of Parishes in the Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross since 2018, was elected to the Prebendal Stall of Castleknock in succession to the Reverend Paul Houston, Rector of Castleknock, Clonsilla and Mulhuddart who retired at the end of September.
A native of Carrickfergus, County Antrim, the Prebendary–elect of Castleknock became a chorister in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, in 1990. On his admission to Trinity College in 2000 he was appointed a choral scholar and a lay vicar choral of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin where he remained until 2007 when he was accepted for training for ordination in The Church of Ireland. Having served a curacy in Saint Paul’s, Glenageary, Mr Arbuthnot moved to the Church of England where, from 2012–2015, he served as Precentor of St Alban’s Cathedral prior to becoming Minor Canon and Sacrist of Westminster Abbey from 2015–2017. In the latter post he worked closely with the Royal Household, government, civic leaders in Westminster, and the BBC.
The Dean of Saint Patrick’s, Dr William Morton, in welcoming the new Canon to the Chapter, said that Mr Arbuthnot brings a wealth of experience to his new role in a host of ways, and particularly in terms of worship through liturgy and music, and wished him many happy years of a rewarding and fulfilling ministry in the familiar surroundings of Saint Patrick’s. The date of the installation will be announced in due course.