BLACKBURN Cathedral will be the first in the country to receive new statutes and a revised constitution tomorrow.

The Very Rev David Frayne, who is Provost in charge of the cathedral, will also be installed as Dean of Blackburn.

The cathedral will be the first to take on a reconstituted Cathedral Chapter and a new Cathedral Council, aimed at widening its accountability and responsibilities.

The new body will have its first meetings in the next few months.

Changes were decided under the Cathedrals Measure by the General Synod and Parliament last year.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, will formally hand the constitution over to the new Dean at a service on Sunday.

Mr Frayne said: "For Blackburn Cathedral, its town and diocese, to lose its Provost is a bit sad after 74 years, but now, having a Dean will make it as plain as can be that Blackburn is engaged in the same kind of ministry as those older cathedrals that have had deans for hundreds of years."

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