A FORMER St Helens vicar has been installed as a historic cathedral's first ever Canon Missioner.

The Revd Paul Rattigan will be responsible for overseeing Southwell Minster’s work on areas of eco and social justice ministry, education, children and families work, and pastoral care, as well as developing the Minster’s new partnership with the Christian development charity A Rocha UK.

Paul and his wife Anne moved to St Helens in 1995 where Paul served as a curate in the Parr team before moving to St Matthews Thatto Heath as vicar.

Most recently he has been Canon Chancellor at Leicester Cathedral and Diocesan Director of Ordinands in the Diocese of Leicester, and before this was Canon for Discipleship at Liverpool Cathedral.

A spokesperson for the cathedral said: "The first church at Southwell was founded in the eighth century as a ‘Minster’, meaning a church from which clergy would go out to ‘minister’ to the surrounding area at a time when this part of the country was still in the process of accepting Christianity.

"In our new context, as Nottinghamshire emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, Paul will lead the Minster’s work of engaging in mission with our town, diocese, and county."

The Dean of Southwell, the Very Revd Nicola Sullivan, added: “I am delighted to welcome Paul into the clergy team at the Minster.  He joins at an exciting time of opportunity for the cathedral to be more outward focused in sharing God’s love and hope with our town and diocese.”

Paul will be licensed at Evensong at 5.30pm on Saturday, January 22 2022.