Emmaus Partnership
On Tuesday 26 November, Bishop Bosco MacDonald, Bishop of Clifton, was Installed as a Prebend of Wells Cathedral during a Service of Choral Evensong, sung by the Vicars Choral of Wells Cathedral Choir. Members of the Chapter installed Bishop MacDonald as a Prebendary along with two others: Colin Kerr, Chair of the Cathedral Finance Committee and Bishop Roshan Lal, Bishop of the Apostolic Pastoral Congress.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Reverend Michael Beasley welcomed the congregation, many from the Catholic Parish of St Joseph and Teresa in Wells, and introduced the Prebendaries-Designate. He read the Deed of Collation which he then presented to each of the Prebendaries-Designate and prayed for them. He read the Mandate for the Installation which was then delivered by the Registry Clerk to the Chapter Clerk.
Bishop Bosco MacDonald was Installed as Prebendary of the Cathedral Church and was assigned the stall belonging to the titular Prebend of Ilton.
A Prebendary is so called because he or she holds a Prebend, the manor or parish or other estate from which the Prebendary used to derive an income. Such Prebends have long been disendowed and now put nothing into the Prebendary’s pocket but their names have been retained to indicate continuity in office with those who held them in those earlier centuries. To each Prebend is attached a portion of the Psalter, to be said daily by the Prebendary concerned.
The members of the Chapter appoint the non-executive members with the prior approval of the Bishop. Non-executive members of the Chapter are appointed to the Chapter and instituted and assigned to their prebendal stalls.
Installation is the act of putting a newly collated Prebendary into the stall assigned to the prebend. This signifies the right of the Prebendary to occupy it when attending Divine Service in the Quire. It also indicates that the Prebendary belongs to the team that comprises the College of Canons. An installation also takes place in the Chapter House, putting the new Prebendary into the seat designated. This gives the Prebendary voice and vote in the counsels of the College of Canons.
