Patrick Comerford
Ever since my late teens, for more than half a century, I have felt I have a spiritual home both in the Chapel of Saint John’s Hospital and in Lichfield Cathedral. Ever since a life-changing experience in the Chapel of Saint John’s, followed by Choral Evensong in the Lichfield, I constantly return to both places throughout the year to pray, give thanks and often for my own self-guided retreat, following the daily cycle of prayer, including private prayer in the chapel, and the mid-day Eucharist and the Choral Evensong in the cathedral.
I have been invited to preach twice in the Chapel in Saint John’s (12 August 2009 and 24 June 2015), and I have filmed school assembly addresses in both the chapel and the cathedral (1 November 2021 and 18 October 2021).
So it was a great pleasure to hear that the Precentor of Lichfield Cathedral, Canon Andrew Stead, is soon to become the Master of Saint John’s Hospital, Lichfield.
At Andrew’s final Evensong in Lichfield Cathedral yesterday (Sunday 16 November 2025), Bishop Michael Ipgrave of Lichfield made him a prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral. This is a special honour that means Andrew continues to be part of the cathedral foundation.
He succeeds the Revd Sharon Greensmith, who was the Master of Saint John’s from 2022 until she became the Team Vicar in Tettenhall Regis earlier this year.
Andrew Stead studied Theology and English at University College of Ripon and York St John and then trained for ordination at Studied GME at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield. He has also studied Philosophy and Religion at Heythrop College, London (MA).
We first got to know each other after he came to Lichfield Cathedral as the Canon Treasurer at the beginning of September 2013, and he was also involved in chaplaincy at Lichfield Cathedral School. He was appointed Canon Precentor of Lichfield Cathedral on 1 April 2017.
As the Canon Precentor, Andrew was responsible for the cathedral’s worship, music, and for the way in which the cathedral builds up its communities in faith, knowledge and understanding. He was always a friendly and welcoming priest in the cathedral whenever I returned.
When I was the canon precentor of the cathedrals in Limerick and Killaloe, I was asked to prepare a paper for the joint chapterson the traditional role of precentors in cathedral chapters, and Andrew provided many incisive insights.
Anglican cathedrals have a precentor whose role is traditionally related to the organisation of liturgy and worship. In Church of England cathedrals of the ‘Old Foundation’, the precentor is a member of the cathedral chapter and officially ranks next to the dean. His or her musical duties are often performed by the succentor, one of the vicars choral. I have had a long family interest in the history of precentors of Lichfield Cathedral: Canon Henry Comberford was the Precentor of Lichfield at the time of the Tudor reformation in the 16th century.
Some years ago, I was involved in a three-day, 30 km (20 mile) interfaith peace walk along the pilgrim way from Saint Chad’s Church, Lichfield, to Saint Chad’s Church, Stafford. When we arrived at Lichfield Cathedral after Morning Prayer, we were greeted by Andrew at the west front. That year marked the 1350th anniversary of the death of Saint Chad in the year 672, and he spoke in the Lady Chapel of how the area was being prepared for a new shrine of Saint Chad.
I shall miss Andrew’s warm welcome in Lichfield Cathedral, but I am looking forward to meeting him when I return regularly to the chapel in Saint John’s Hospital in Lichfield for those personal retreats that have continued for over half a century.
