Snowy Induction for New Dean

The Davis FamilyOn a stormy and snowy January night, the Very Reverend Kenneth Davis was inducted as the Rector of the Cathedral Church of St Alban the Martyr in Prince Albert, and the Dean of Saskatchewan.

Davis comes to the Diocese of Saskatchewan after twelve years at All Saints’ Church in Whitby, Ontario. “I’m delighted to be here,” he says with a smile.

He and his family arrived in early January, to a very warm welcome. “The people here have been very generous, kind and welcoming,” Davis says, citing as one example that “people brought us evening meals every night for our first week here.”

Davis’ wife, Gillian, is an accomplished Paediatric Physiotherapist. She is pleased to be working at the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert. They have three sons: Simon (24) and his wife Ashley; Benjamin (20), who lives in Ontario, and Samuel (6). Little Samuel makes friends very quickly, and is adapting well to life in Saskatchewan.

The Davis family is excited to be in Prince Albert, and in the Diocese. Many people they have met since their arrival have wondered about their reaction upon arriving in the middle of a Saskatchewan winter. But Davis laughs and professes a love for snow. “I have already been out skiing a couple times,” he said. “The last time, it was minus-30, which was a new experience,” he noted, which only added to his enjoyment.

Davis graduated from Wycliffe College in Toronto with his Master of Divinity degree in 1986. He served first as Curate and later as Priest-in-charge of St Peter’s Church (Erindale) in Mississauga, Ontario (Diocese of Toronto) for two and a half years, then as Rector of St Barnabas’ Church in Peterborough for nine years. Most recently he was Rector of All Saints’ Church in Whitby, Ontario, for twelve years.

The move to the cathedral and to Prince Albert “seemed of God,” Davis said. “God was clearly at work, in a series of hardly-chance encounters,” that led them here. He looks forward to working with the many fine people at the Cathedral and around the diocese. To help him deepen his understanding of his new place, Davis is organizing a Cathedral History Day, a chance for a facilitator to draw out from members past memories and deeply significant moments and people.

The Induction service for Davis took place at St Alban’s Cathedral on January 24^th, at the tail end of the worst snowstorm of the season. The weather prevented many from attending, and many regrets and best wishes were received by telephone. But despite winter’s best efforts, the service was very well attended, and there was a warm and positive feel in the cathedral.

The service began with a procession of the Cathedral Choir, Lay Readers, Diocesan and Visiting Clergy, the Dean, Cathedral Wardens, Chancellor and the Bishop of Saskatchewan, Michael Hawkins. Once all were settled, Bishop Hawkins led the gathered community in a time of prayer for Davis and his ministry. After Davis read his declarations and oaths, Bishop Hawkins instituted him and presented to him a Bible and a Prayer Book, and blessed the new Incumbent.

Davis was then inducted to his charge. He received the Keys of the Church from the Wardens of the Cathedral, then was led by the Bishop to the significant points of the church, including the Font, the Prayer Desk, the Lectern, the Pulpit, and the Altar, reminding him at each stop of some of the aspects and duties of his calling.

Following the installation of Davis as Dean and as a Canon of the Cathedral, the service of Holy Communion continued with lessons from Acts and the Gospel of Luke. The Reverend Christopher Greaves, Rector of St John’s Church in Bowmanville (Diocese of Toronto) and good friend of Davis, delivered the sermon.

The service was followed by a reception in the Cathedral hall. Chief Lawrence Joseph, a Lay Reader at the Cathedral, offered a prayer for the lunch, provided by the Robert Tilton ACW group.

The positions of Rector of St Alban’s Cathedral and Dean of the Diocese of Saskatchewan have been vacant since early 2009.