February 8 2026
Ep4: Courage to Thrive — Rev. Dr. Robert Flanagan interviews David Monteith, the Dean of Canterbury
February 2026: Welcome to Ep4 of Father Bob’s Courage to Thrive show!
Father Bob and David will discuss:
- Would you describe your spiritual journey? (From Northern Ireland to Canterbury Cathedral)
- What part of your journey required you to act with courage?
- What is your work like as Dean of Canterbury Cathedral?
- Describe a day in the life of the Dean of Canterbury.
- The installation of Archbishop Sarah Mullaly will happen in March. How are you and the people of the Cathedral preparing for that day?
- What will happen that day?
- Why does the Archbishop of Canterbury matter these days, especially to Americans?
- How do you see the Cathedral thriving in 2026?
About our guest: David Monteith was appointed Dean of Canterbury in December 2022. Previously, he was Dean of Leicester (from May 2013) and, before that, served as Canon Chancellor and Acting Archdeacon of Leicester. David grew up during ‘The Troubles’ in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He studied Zoology at Durham University and Theology at Nottingham University, after which he served as a priest in the Diocese of Birmingham, in London, where he was Associate Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and as a Team Rector and Area Dean in Wimbledon, Diocese of Southwark.
During his time at Leicester, David oversaw work on reordering the Cathedral, the establishment of Cathedral Gardens, and the Leicester Cathedral Revealed Project, which, with NLHF funding, will complete the reordering work and provide a new Chapter House. The reburial of the remains of King Richard III, which were rediscovered in the nearby Leicester car park, which overlies the remains of a medieval Franciscan Friary, was another major project successfully completed.
David was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Leicester in 2016, in recognition of his service and leadership in the community. Until 2018, he served as Chair of the St. Philip’s Centre for Interfaith Dialogue. In June 2020, he was elected as Chair of the AEC and is an ex-Dean of the College of Dean officio member of the AEC Executive. Learn more here: canterbury-cathedral.org
About our host: An esteemed Episcopal priest and author, Father Bob has dedicated his life to spiritual transformation and caring for others.
With a profound connection to his faith and an unwavering commitment to helping those in need, he has touched countless lives through his ministry, writings, and teachings. Bob’s book, “Letters of an Unexpected Mystic,” was a 2023 Selah Book Award finalist in the Bible study category.
Learn more: robertdflanagan.com
In his first-person spiritual journal, 
He knows that we do that by relating well to ourselves and others, the world and its various creatures and places—and God. “We thrive when we relate to who and what is around us in a healthy manner. We can discover ourselves—who we are—in beautiful, elegant, hope-filled, positive ways,” says 
