New curates outside Lichfield Cathedral

Twenty-two new curates have been ordained at Lichfield Cathedral.

The 14 women and eight men marked the end of two or three years of training when they were confirmed as deacons by the Bishop of Lichfield, the Right Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave at services over the weeekend.

New curates outside Lichfield Cathedral
New curates outside Lichfield Cathedral

The ordinations were double the number the previous year, with the Diocese of Lichfield’s director of vocations Dr Lindsey Hall, adding that interest was high in exploring roles available.

“We are currently working with around 100 people who are exploring vocation either on the Pathways to Ministry course or by meeting with a vocations advisor,” Dr Hall said. “Lots of these people have come forward in the last few weeks and we are really thankful for the way in which they have responded to God’s call.”

Among those who were ordained this weekend were was Viv Starkie, who will minister in Mid Trent, Stafford, after retiring from her role as a prosecuting solicitor.

“I never imagined when I was 33 that I would be ordained as a minister when I was 63,” she said. “I was then a prosecuting solicitor with the Crown Prosecution Service with two small children – I only began teaching Sunday School to avoid the embarrassment of chasing around church after a toddler!

“As the years passed, I increasingly felt I should be doing more. Out of the blue, I decided to take early retirement. Still reeling from this unexpected change of direction, I suddenly realised that God was calling me to ministry and that my professional skills in advocacy, my passion for justice, my concerns for victims of hate crime and domestic violence, were all just preparation for a vocation in ministry.

“I still resisted – I was just not ‘holy’ enough. But I decided to take a Pathways Course and finally accepted that God was calling me to ministry.”

More information about vocations within the Diocese of Lichfield is available online.

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.