An internationally renowned composer and a member of the Royal Household are among those being installed as Canons at St Asaph Cathedral on Sunday (25 January).

Paul Mealor is to become Canon for the Arts and Culture and a member of the Cathedral Chapter. Paul is a former chorister at St Asaph Cathedral and is now the Artistic Director of the North Wales International Music Festival which is based at the Cathedral. He is also a well-known composer, who is making a significant contribution to church music.

Revd Canon Paul Wright is to be installed as an Honorary Canon. He is Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal having had a notable career in the Armed Forces. He has strong family connections with the Mold area.

Both will be collated and installed during Evensong at 3.30pm in the Cathedral alongside:

• Mike Haslam who will become Canon Chancellor, and a member of Chapter. The post of Chancellor in St Asaph is usually held by a priest holding a diocesan ministry of education, and Mike, as our Director of Transforming Ministry, fulfils that brief.
• Martin Batchelor will become Canon Missioner and a member of Chapter. Martin is one of the most experienced priests in the diocese and has successfully led the Mission Hub Church in Mold.
• Paul Whittaker will become Canon Treasurer and a member of Chapter. Paul is a significant lay leader in the diocese, and his financial expertise will be of enormous value in the governance of the Cathedral.
• Richard Hainsworth will take up the Cursal Canonry of Randulph de Birkened in recognition of his long service to this diocese, and his distinguished ministry in Flint.
• Andrea Russell will take up the Cursal Canonry of Adam Beckinsell in recognition of her work as Warden of Gladstone’s Library, and the contribution she is making to diocesan life.
• Sally Harper will become an honorary Canon. Sally has been leading the work of the Diocesan Spirituality Group over recent years. She will continue as Director of Spirituality, as well as contributing ministry to the Denbigh Mission Area.

The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, who has made these appointments in consultation with the Dean of St Asaph Cathedral, said: “I am delighted to be installing eight new Canons for St Asaph Cathedral. The wide-ranging appointments affirms the diversity of ministry and service across diocesan life. We look forward to welcoming them all as Canons on Sunday.”

The Service of Collation and Installation of new Canons will take place on Sunday 25 January, 2026, the Feast Day of the Conversion of St Paul, at 3.30pm in the context of Evensong. Everyone is invited to come and support the new canons at this event.

St Asaph Cathedral is named after Asaph, the successor to St Kentigern who built his church on the banks of the River Elwy in AD560. Today, the Diocese of St Asaph extends from Llandudno in north-west Wales to Newtown in mid Wales and across to the English border. St Asaph is one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales, an independent province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.