Diocese of Chichester

Ordination services to both the diaconate and priesthood usually take place at the end of June.

After they have completed their initial ministerial training, women and men are then ordained deacon before usually being ordained as priests the following year.

Saturday 3 October is the new planned date for the ordination of deacons by the Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, in Chichester Cathedral. The logistics around the service, how many people can attend etc, will be firmed up nearer the time subject to the national situation and government advice. All those ordained will serve as Curates in parishes across the Diocese.

The previous weekend (26,27 September) is now set aside for the ordination of new priests. These services take place in designated parish churches across the Diocese at which small groups of candidates are ordained together.

These services are then followed by special services in each of the newly ordained priests' individual churches. They can then celebrate the Eucharist for the first time surrounded by the people they serve in their parishes.

Canon Rebecca Swyer, Diocesan Director of Apostolic Life, said that candidates who had expected to start as new clergy this month following their ordination as deacons would instead by licensed as Lay Workers by the Bishop of Chichester.

"This will allow them to settle into their parishes and begin to get to know people they will serve over the summer as far as current restrictions allow," said Canon Swyer today.

She added: "It will also give them the Bishop's permission to take some role in leading worship and to preach."

Canon Swyer said that preparing for ordination is always a challenging time which can be quite daunting "but this year, even more so, because of what we have all been living through."

Those serving in stipendiary posts who have moved into the Diocese have had to move home, settle their families into new communities and get to know new colleagues online as the recent Covid-19 restrictions began to be eased.

Those to be ordained deacon in 2020:

James Bailey serving at St Peter’s, Brighton

Samuel Buck serving at St John’s, Crawley

William (Josh) Delia serving at St John the Divine, West Worthing and St Andrew’s Worthing

Stephen Emerson serving at St Mary de Haura, Shoreham-by-Sea

David Griffin serving at Hailsham

Jon Harley serving at St Matthias, Brighton

Benjamin Lucas serving at St Margaret’s, Angmering

Benjamin Martin serving at Bishop Hannington, Hove

Richard Merrick serving at St Cuthman’s. Whitehawk

Hannah Milneserving at St Peter’s, Brighton

Patrick Pearson-Milesserving at Chantonbury Churches

Mark Rodger serving at All Saints, Wick, Littlehampton

Greta Sawyer serving at Worth with Maidenbower

Sarah Van den driessche serving at St Mary’s, Kemptown

Heather Wilkin serving at St Peter’s Henfield

Arrangements for Ordinations to the Priesthood

Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2020

The Bishop of Lewes ordaining as Priests at St Paul’s Brighton on Saturday 26 September at 3.00pm:

Dominik Chmielewski

St Nicholas, Arundel

Thomas Crowley

St Saviour’s Eastbourne

Thomas Fink-Jensen

St Michael and All Angels’, Lancing

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priests at St Mary’s, Horsham on Saturday 26 September at 3.00pm:

Torhild Fikseaunet

Heathfield

Elizabeth Green

St Alban’s Glossop’s Green

Elizabeth Jinks

St Mark’s Holbrook

Sally Mitchell

West Grinstead

Neill Stannard

St Matthew’s Worthing

Alexandra Wheeler

St John the Evangelist, Copthorne

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priests at St John Meads, Eastbourne on Sunday 27 September at 3.00pm:

Emma Ham-Riche

East Preston

Alistair Marshall

St Peter’s Brighton

Shirley Tupper

Beeding and Bramber with Botolphs

Sandra Wickens

Rotherfield

The Bishop of Chichester ordaining as Priest at St Pancras’ Chichester on Sunday 27 September at 3.00pm

Michael Milmine

St Pancras Chichester

In a series of videos, published each week leading up to the ordinations at Michaelmas, we meet our new deacons designates. Watch the published ones here