THE newly-named Anglican Dean of Goulburn, the Reverend Phillip Saunders, has described his new cathedral as "a jewel."
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The Rev Saunders, who flew in with some members of his family on Friday to meet cathedral authorities, will be installed at St Saviour's Cathedral in August.
In announcing the appointment, the Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, the Rt Rev George Browning said it had been made "with the unanimous support of the Cathedral chapter.
The Rev Saunders is presently the Rector of Belmont Parish in the Diocese of Newcastle. He became a priest in 1987, serving as an assistant in the parishes of Muswellbrook and Cessnock/Wollombi, before his first appointment as rector, in the Parish of Southlakes, in 1989.
"He moved to Belmont in 1997 where he was able to stimulate and enliven a demoralised parish," said Bishop Browning.
"He served as Area Dean of Lake Macquarie from 1993 to 1999 and at various times has been Diocesan Youth Chaplain and Director of the Post Ordination Training Programme for the Newcastle Diocese," he said.
The Rev Saunders has two sons and a daughter.
"In this Diocese, the Cathedral is seen as a resource of spirituality and a place of gathering for the whole of the Diocese, a centre of Christian witness in the City of Goulburn.
"The Dean is thus not only Dean of the Cathedral and the priest of the Cathedral Parish, but also a senior figure in the Diocese and the National Church, and in the city of Goulburn.
"The Dean's job is an onerous one and I am sure Phillip will bring much energy to it," said Bishop Browning.
The Rev Saunders told the Goulburn Post he was a musician and a symphonic composer and was looking forward to becoming part of the "Cathedral family."
Bishop Browning offered his thanks to the Venerable Royce Thompson who has been Acting Dean for some months following the departure of the Very Reverend Kenyon McKie to the Diocese of Melbourne.
