THE PARISH CHURCH FOR LYTHAM

Lytham Canon to be Royal Chaplain

On Sunday,18th May at the 10am service, the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Shuttleworth, will present Canon Andrew with his badge of office as Chaplain to the Queen.

Canon Andrew Clitherow, Priest-in-Charge of St Cuthbert’s Church, Lytham has been appointed a Chaplain to the Queen, Buckingham Palace announced today (Friday).

The honorary appointment, dated from Christmas Eve, places Canon Clitherow within the 36 members of the College of Chaplains who form part of the Queen’s Ecclesiastical Household. Wearing a scarlet cassock and a special badge, they preach once a year in the Chapel Royal or the Queen’s Chapel, St James’ Palace, London.

Canon Clitherow, who will hold the appointment until he is 70, said: “It is a very great honour to be invited to hold this position and it was a great surprise. I feel very unworthy of it.

“I hope this appointment can also be seen in a wider context, as a tribute and encouragement for all the clergy in the Church of England in Lancashire and the wonderful work they do, day in and day out.

“I would like to think of this not just as an individual, but also as a collective honour, recognising all of us who share the love of God in our preaching and our pastoral concern for those we are called to serve.”

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, said: “I and the whole Blackburn Diocese are delighted about this appointment.

“Andrew is one of the finest pastors I know, and has given so much encouragement to clergy and parishes throughout Lancashire. He is very good preacher and is much in demand as a Retreat Conductor, and he is also a spiritual writer.

“He is hugely respected throughout our Diocese and county and we rejoice with him that he has received his honour. He will have a few duties to fulfil each year in the Royal Household, and there is a real sense in which he will take all of us with him on those occasions.

“Andrew feels this honour is one we all share with him because his heart is so much with the people of Lancashire.”

Canon Clitherow (57) was educated at Durham University and trained for the priesthood in Salisbury. He moved to Lancashire in 1989, when he became Chaplain of Rossall School, after working in the St Albans and Lichfield Dioceses,        He was Vicar of St Paul, Scotforth in Lancaster from 1994 to 2000 and Diocesan Director of Training and a Residentiary Canon of Blackburn Cathedral from 200 to 2007, when he moved to St Cuthbert’s. He is married to Rebekah and has four children.

Previous Chaplains to the Queen from the Blackburn Diocese include the former Bishop of Lancaster, the Rt Rev Stephen Pedley and Canon John Priestley, former Vicar of Christ Church, Colne.