The Bishop of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, the Rt Revd Michael Lewis, is delighted to announce six new canons of the diocese’s two cathedrals, three to be installed in Bahrain and three in Cyprus.
On Friday 23 February 2018 at St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manama, Bahrain, he will confer clerical canonries on the Revd Stephen Thanapaul and the Revd Jebaraj Devasagayam, and a lay canonry on Mrs Angela Murray.
Fr Stephen Thanapaul has served for a number of years as a chaplain of the Mission to Seafarers, both in India and the Gulf. In Bahrain he is also associate priest at the cathedral and plays a prominent part in English and Tamil worship.
Fr Jebaraj Devasagayam, after a ministry that has included theological education and publication as well as pastoral responsibility, has pioneered Tamil-language worship in Qatar while contributing to all aspects of the life of the Church of the Epiphany.
Mrs Angela Murray, a historian and writer and long-term resident of Bahrain, is well-known throughout the community and a key figure at St Christopher’s Cathedral. She is in the process of compiling an exhaustively reasearched history of our diocese.
On Thursday 3 May at St Paul’s Cathedral, Nicosia, Cyprus, he will confer clerical canonries on the Revd Brian Elliott, the Revd Paul Burt, and the Revd Bertrand Olivier.
Padre Brian Elliott has been an army chaplain in various capacities for forty years, including a spell as Deputy Assistant Chaplain-General. He now serves as honorary assistant priest at St Paul’s Cathedral, Nicosia.
The Revd Paul Burt has had a varied ordained ministry not only in parishes but also as teacher, house master, and school chaplain, latterly at Winchester College, and currently as a senior chaplain of the Mission to Seafarers in Dubai and Regional Director for the Gulf and South Asia. When he steps down from that post in the spring he will continue to live in the UAE.
The Revd Bertrand Olivier is soon to become Dean of Montreal Cathedral in Canada and will continue his already strong support of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. A Frenchman, he has been vicar of All Hallows by the Tower in London, our diocese’s host and base in the UK, for twelve years and is Bishop Michael’s Commissary.
All who are able are warmly encouraged to join the new canons at their installations. Your prayers and thanksgivings are asked for them and their families.