Diocese of Chichester

People from all four archdeaconries in the Diocese [ Horsham, Brighton and Lewes, Hastings and Chichester] will be admitted to the Order by the Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, at a special service in Chichester Cathedral on Saturday October 8 at 4pm.

Each year, membership is awarded to lay people nominated by their parish priest who recognise, with others, the exceptional contribution each have made.

The Order of St Richard was founded in 2019.

At the service next month they will receive a certificate signed by the Bishop and a collarette/lanyard with the pin on it so they can wear it either with the pin or the pin on its own.

The Bishop of Chichester said today:
“We offer congratulations to those who are receiving this award and my own thanks for our partnership together in the apostolic life in this diocese. I look forward to meeting with them and their families and friends and what is always a super event in the calendar of the Diocese.”

A full list of recipients is printed below. Amongst all of the outstanding nominees are several who have served a churchwarden and others who have helped with fundraising, outreach, children’s work and those who help behind the scenes to enable worship to take place.

Order of St Richard full list of recipients and citation:

Brighton & Lewes

Malcolm Anderson – for enabling the parish to use modern technology and his work in the wider community

Gill Evans – for her support of the musical life of the church and for her local community

Susan Richardson – For outstanding dedication to her church as churchwarden

Mary Wyn Thomas – For her exception al modest support for her church and local community performed with devotion and a wonderful sense of humour

Diana Woodcock – For her faithful and pastoral care of her church congregation

John Phillips – For his work with youth in the parish and diocese

Hastings

Carol Brown – for her work as a devoted churchwarden who has brought her Christian faith into her many years of service to her church and community

Caryl Victoria Cook – For exceptional and faithful service to her church and community all done with modesty and generosity.

Ron & Ruth Harrington – For their devotion to the church described as a vision of hope for the community

Mrs Jane Overall – for her support to 3 incumbents and for being a good listener and encourager

Mrs Tessa Potts – For serving her parish as a devoted Sacristan for 26 years and supporting all areas of parish work.

Frances Rogers – For turning her small local beachside church into a dynamic community centre space that nourishes and brings strength to many thousand visitors each year.

Horsham

Penny Burton – For being a key person in her church’s life for over 30 years and serving on the Deanery Synod

Sandra and Michael Cook – For their devoted work for their church particularly with children and young people

Felicity Fernee – for her contribution to both the spiritual life of the parish but also outreach into the wider community

Mrs Mavis Marwood – for her service to her church and local community

Peter Vince – For his exceptional devotion to his local church and his fundraising skills

Chichester

Richard Archer – For his work reviving his local church, ensuring it’s financial security and his work in the wider community.

Commander Harry Campbell Bates & Mrs Nina Bates for their service to their church particularly looking after the fabric of the building and churchyard.

Sheila Ryan for her long and distinguished service to the Church of England and her local parish. She has been described as the glue who holds the parish together.

Nicholas Le Hive – for his support for his priest and his work keeping the parish going in difficult times.

Evalyn Stanford – For her quiet devotion to her parish church and local community

Sleelagh Ann Underwood – For her faithful and outstanding service as Sacristan and the many jobs she does for the parish.