On 15 June a celebratory service marking the 30th anniversary of women’s ordination in the Church of England is to be held at Salisbury Cathedral. Those first women ordained priest in 1994 in Salisbury, and women ordained elsewhere but now living in the diocese, are receiving personal invitations from the Bishop of Salisbury.
The former Dean of Salisbury, now Bishop June Osborne, will preach. Bishop June was one of the first women to be ordained in 1994. The Bishop of Sherborne, Karen Gorham, will preside and the girls choir will sing. Please do come and join the celebrations!
Celebrations have been taking place across the country from March this year as different dioceses mark their first ordinations of women priests.
Bishop Karen was training at theological college when the first ordinations were held. She said “‘Over the last 30 years ordained women have made a huge difference to the life of the church and the communities, and chaplaincies, in which they serve.
"Please join us in the Cathedral to give thanks for our ministry together as men and women, and to honour those on whose shoulders many of us stand. I continue to give thanks for those called to be deaconesses and deacons many years ago, and who were ordained to the priesthood in 1994. Many of these women continue to serve in the diocese, and bring their gifts and wisdom to our common life for which we also rejoice.”