Sixteen new deacons are to be ordained at Lichfield Cathedral this weekend.
Services on 26th and 27th June will feature eight women and eight men from a variety of backgrounds, inlcuind g mental health nursing, teaching and agricultural engineering.
They will serve in parish ministry in areas such as school chaplaincy in a variety of churches and settings across Lichfield Diocese.
The 16 will be ordained by the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, at the cathedral.
Diocesan ministry training enabler the Revd Dr Jeanette Hartwell said:
“As always, the richness of background, personalities and gifts in this year’s new curates is wonderful.
“Much of their initial training for ordained ministry has been in exceptional circumstances and they begin their ministries in challenging times as we continue to reflect on what it means to be people of hope in these strange and uncertain times.
“We look forward to them contributing to the Shaping for Mission agenda within the diocese and we rejoice that they are able to come together to celebrate their ordinations in the cathedral this weekend.”
The Revd Dr Jeanette Hartwell