Fourteen new deacons will be ordained at Lichfield Cathedral this weekend (25 and 26 June).
The new curates – eight women and six men – each have their own pathway to calling into ordained ministry and bring with them a rich variety of backgrounds in areas such town planning, community outreach work, hospitality, working with Special Needs children, charity work, serving behind bars and designing databases.
They will serve in parish ministry in a variety of churches and settings across Lichfield Diocese in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, the Black Country and Shropshire.
More detail about each of the new ordinands, who have completed either two or three years of training, is at on this webpage where there are also live-streaming links to the services.
They will be ordained by the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, at the cathedral.
Diocesan Director of Ministry, the Revd Dr Jeanette Hartwell, said: “The diocese has another great set of curates this year who are raring to go in their new parishes after undergoing most of their training during periods of lockdown.
“We really look forward to the energy they will bring to their new roles which are in a wide variety of parishes and communities across the diocese – rural, urban and in everything between!
“In our ever-changing world, we need people who can serve God and share the Good News of Jesus in their communities, workplaces, and local churches in fresh and creative ways. If you would like to explore how God may be calling you to serve in a new way please email ddo@lichfield.anglican.org”
Meanwhile, last year’s intake of curates were ‘priested’ at services across the diocese last weekend.