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Installation of new ecumencial canon at Belfast Cathedral

Thursday May 22nd 2014

The Rev Ruth Patterson was installed as an ecumenical canon in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, on Sunday May 18.

Ruth was appointed by the Dean and Chapter of St Anne’s as a Methodist ecumenical canon in succession to the Rev Brian Fletcher who has retired.

The Presbyterian ecumenical canon in the Cathedral is also Ruth Patterson. The Rev Ruth Patterson OBE, Director of Restoration Ministries, was installed in the Cathedral in October 2012.

The Cathedral’s new canon currently serves as the Methodist minister in Ballynafeigh Church, Ormeau Road, Belfast, and is Superintendent of the Ballynafeigh Circuit. Previously she served as a non–stipendiary minister in Donegall Road Church, Belfast.

In both these positions Ruth worked closely with colleagues in other church traditions in particular through the Ballynafeigh Clergy Fellowship and the sharing of evening services with St Simon and St Philip’s Church in Donegall Road.

Ruth was educated at Fivemiletown High School and Methodist College Belfast. On leaving school she trained as a Diagnostic Radiographer at the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast where she later worked as a clinical radiographer, eventually specialising in neuroradiography, before moving to a lecturer’s post at the University of Ulster.

In 2004 she received a Bachelor of Theology from Queen’s University Belfast, and was ordained in 2006. She is married to Ian and they have two grown up sons.

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