32 new deacons ordained at Christ Church Cathedral
A former marine biologist, artist, paediatric nurse, and headteacher are among the newly ordained deacons who will serve in parishes across the Diocese of Oxford.
The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, ordained 32 deacons on Saturday 2 July in three services at Christ Church Cathedral, representing their respective archdeaconries of Buckingham, Oxford and Dorchester, and Reading.
Speaking on the ordination of deacons, the Bishop of Oxford said:
“It is a pleasure and joy to welcome so many dedicated and gifted people who have responded to God’s call to ordained ministry and to share the good news and love of Jesus in communities across the diocese. After the past couple of years of pandemic restrictions, it is wonderful to see friends and family of the ordinands filling the Cathedral and celebrating together.”
Family and friends of those being ordained gathered in their numbers to celebrate the joyous occasion. The new deacons heard sermons from the Bishop of Reading, the Associate Archdeacon of Buckingham, and the Bishop of Dorchester. The Rt Revd Gavin Collins, Bishop of Dorchester, encouraged the new deacons as they begin their ministry:
“To be called to serve is a great joy…But we must make sure we keep the focus solely on elevating Jesus, not ourselves… If you go forward in God’s grace, you are going to be ace.”
Following two or three years of training, the deacons will now serve as curates in a range of church contexts and traditions – urban, rural, large, and small parishes – across some of the 808 churches, serving a population of 2.4 million, in the three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.
Each new deacon brings a wealth of experience from all walks of life, career backgrounds, and different ages. Some are joining the ordained ministry early on in their career and others taking on the new role in retirement. Apart from those who remain as a distinctive deacon, the curates will be ordained priest next year.
The Cathedral services were livestreamed - find the details at oxford.anglican.org/livestream. A photo library is available on Facebook. Find out more about the deacons here.
ENDS
Notes to editors
For media enquiries and high-res photos, please contact Madeleine Hayden / 07880 716 761
About the Diocese of Oxford
The Diocese of Oxford is the Church of England in the Thames Valley region of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and¯Buckinghamshire.¯There are 808 churches in¯626 parishes,¯the largest number of churches of any diocese in the Church of England. The diocese is also home to 285 schools and academies educating some 60,000 pupils.¯¯