Archdeacon Stephen Forde appointed Dean of Belfast

Archdeacon Stephen Forde has been appointed as the new Dean of Belfast.

The appointment was announced by the Board of Nomination of St Anne’s Cathedral on Sunday.

The 55-year-old has been rector of Larne and Inver with Glynn and Raloo since 1999.

He succeeds the Very Rev John Mann who has moved to the Salisbury Diocese.

Mr Forde, who grew up in County Down, said his appointment was “a huge challenge” and that he was “conscious that this is a time of significant change for the cathedral”.

“For many years it was at the edge of city life and now it is at the very centre of the thriving Cathedral Quarter,” he added.

“My vision is to see the cathedral as a spiritual centre at the heart of the city, a cathedral with doors to pass through, not to pass by.

“It is a cathedral open to all, for those who are seeking God and faith in the 21st century. Building on the legacy of those who have gone before, the cathedral will continue to offer prayer, praise and service.”

He said he did not expect to be in post as Dean before Christmas, and that the Black Santa charity appeal would “continue uninterrupted”.

“I will be a Black Santa in training, and hope to be present at the launch of the 41st sit-out for charities in December along with colleagues from the cathedral clergy and chapter.”

Archdeacon Forde, who was ordained as a priest in 1987, is married to Fiona, a staff nurse at Antrim Hospital. The couple has three children.

Mr Forde was a Minor Canon of St Anne’s Cathedral from 1989 to 1991.

No date has been set for his installation as the new Dean.