FOUR new canons are to be installed at Salisbury Cathedral next month.

Reverends Vanessa Herrick, Jean de Garis and Gerald Osborne are to be appointed Non Residentiary Canons and Michael A Keller, a Sarum Canon.

They will be installed during Evensong at 5.30pm on Wednesday, October 15, and they will then join the cathedral’s College of Canons.

A Sarum Canon is an honorary canon at the cathedral and a public way of recognising and honouring the contribution which individuals have made to the worldwide church.

Canons are allocated their own stall in the Quire of the cathedral; Rev Herrick will be installed into Alton Borealis, Rev de Garis into Yetminster Prima and Rev Osborne into Bishopstone.

The new canons are bringing a broad range of experience to their advisory roles.

Rev Herrick has been Rector of Wimborne Minster since 2012 and she has served on the staff of two cathedrals, with more than 30 years’ experience as a lay person, clergy spouse, lay reader and ordained minister.

Rev de Garis was ordained in the Anglican Church in 1993 and appointed priest in charge of Lytchett Minster and Upton in 1998, and he has been Rural Dean of Poole since 2009.

Rev Osborne was ordained in 1999 under the pilot diocesan OLM scheme and is a trustee of the charity Send a Cow, which uses livestock and training to help African smallholders.

Revd June Osborne, Dean of Salisbury, said: “We are so pleased to welcome Vanessa, Jean, Gerald and Michael to our College of Canons.

“Between them they will bring us insights into their specialist areas and help our communities with their expert advice and opinions.

“We are so grateful to have such a variety of skills in the college and we thank all existing canons too for the service they provide to the cathedral.”