Diocese of Chichester

New priests to be ordained this autumn

Fourteen new priests will be ordained during 8 days of celebration in early October across the Diocese of Chichester.

All the candidates, currently serving as curates in East & West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, were ordained deacon last summer in Chichester Cathedral.

The ordination services were due to be held earlier this summer. But plans were put on hold because of the closure of cathedrals and churches due to COVID-19 until early July.

Following the normal custom in the diocese of Chichester, the suffragan bishops of Horsham [Ruth Bushyager] and Lewes [Will Hazelwood] will take responsibility for these ordinations.

A bishop has been allocated to ordain and celebrate on each date rather than having groups of candidates together. This allows more family members and representatives of local churches to share in the joy of the ordination whilst worship remains subject to social distancing guidelines.

Canon Stephen Ferns, Senior Chaplain to the Bishop of Chichester, said today: “We are really grateful to all of the incumbents and parishes who are putting a great deal of effort into planning a time of celebration for each of the candidates. After serving as deacons for just over a year they are now entering the final weeks of preparation for their ordination as priest and the prayers of all of us in the Diocese are with them.”

Ends

Here is a list of the dates, times, venues, and candidates. A prayer diary can be downloaded here

Saturday 3 October

The Bishop of Chichester ordaining as Priest at St Mary’s Goring-by-Sea on Saturday 3 October at 3.00pm:

Neill Stannard

St Mary’s Goring-by-Sea

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at St Alban’s Gossops Green on Saturday 3 October at 3.00pm:

Elizabeth Green

St Alban’s Gossops Green

The Bishop of Lewes ordaining as Priest at St Saviour’s Eastbourne on Saturday 3 October at 3.00pm:

Thomas Crowley

St Saviour’s Eastbourne

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at St Mark’s Holbrook on Saturday 3 October at 6.00pm:

Elizabeth Jinks

St Mark’s Holbrook

Sunday 4 October

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at West Grinstead on Sunday 4 October at 3.00pm:

Sally Mitchell

West Grinstead

The Bishop of Lewes ordaining as Priest at St Nicholas’ Arundel on Sunday 4 October at 3.00pm:

Dominik Chmielewski

St Nicholas, Arundel

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at St John the Evangelist, Copthorne on Sunday 4 October at 6.00pm:

Alexandra Wheeler

St John the Evangelist, Copthorne

The Bishop of Chichester ordaining as Priest at St Pancras Chichester on Sunday 4 October at 6.00pm:

Michael Milmine

St Pancras Chichester

Monday 5 October

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at St Peter’s Beeding on Monday 5 October at 7.00pm:

Shirley Tupper

Beeding and Bramber with Botolphs

Tuesday 6 October

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at St Denys’ Rotherfield on Tuesday 6 October at 7.00pm:

Sandra Wickens

Rotherfield

Wednesday 7 October

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at All Saints' Old Heathfield on Wednesday 7 October at 7.00pm:

Torhild Fikseaunet

Heathfield

Thursday 8 October

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at St Peter’s Brighton on Thursday 8 October at 7.00pm:

Alistair Marshall

St Peter’s Brighton

Saturday 10 October

The Bishop of Lewes ordaining as Priest at St Michael’s South Lancing on Saturday 10 October at 3.00pm:

Thomas Fink-Jensen

St Michael and All Angels’, Lancing

Sunday 11 October

The Bishop of Horsham ordaining as Priest at East Preston on Sunday 11 October at 6.00pm:

Emma Ham-Riche

East Preston