St Bride's Rector installed as new Archdeacon of London - July 27, 2009

A congregation of more than 600 gathered in St Paul's Cathedral for the installation of Canon David Meara, Rector of St Bride's, the famous Fleet Street journalists' church, as Archdeacon of London, a post which goes back 1,000 years. He becomes the first Rector of St Bride's to be promoted to the post within the Diocese of London and received warm congratulations from the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, who conducted the brief, simple ceremony during evensong. and later preached the sermon.

David, who now has the title of The Venerable, was escorted to his stall in the quire of Wren's vast cathedral, by the Dean of St Paul's the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles, a former Bishop of Sodor and Man.

The guests included close family members, among them David's twin brother, Richard, Sir David Brewer, a former Lord Mayor of the City of London, and currently Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, and Lady Brewer, as well as senior representatives of the newspaper industry and members of choirs throughout the diocese who led the music

Prayers were offered by the Rev Jason Rendell, Minor Canon and Succentor of St Paul's, assisted by Mr Vyvyan Harmsworth, Master of the Guild of St Bride, and Mr William Chapman, private secretary and chief of staff to the Lord Mayor.

The Ven David Meara will continue as Rector of St Bride's. In his new post, his duties will include a general disciplinary supervision of the clergy in his archdeaconry and a more particular care over the temporal administration of the ecclesiastical property. - the fabric of the churches. He becomes, virtually, 'right hand man' to the Bishop!