HISTORY was made at Blackburn Cathedral yesterday when it appointed its first ever female canon.

At a service yesterday afternoon, Rev Dr Canon Susan Penfold was made the new Director of Ministry and became the first woman canon to be accepted onto the staff at Blackburn Cathedral.

Rev Dr Penfold, 56, is used to being a pioneer after she became the first woman at York University to be awarded a first class degree in Physics and later obtained a PhD at Bristol University and an MA in theology at Cambridge.

In her new role she will be responsible for supporting and training lay and ordained people for various forms of ministry in the Church of England in Lancashire.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, said: “Sue Penfold comes to us with a wealth of experience, which includes working as a research biochemist before training for ordination.

“She has served in four parishes, been director of ordination candidates in two dioceses, and a continuing ministerial education officer in one, before holding her current post for the last five years.

“I know she will be a great encourager of the clergy and a very effective leader of the ministry team, and bring much energy to the cathedral.

“We are most fortunate to have a fine pastor, a most experienced trainer of clergy and lay people, and someone with considerable parish experience, who is married to a parish priest.”

Rev Dr Penfold was brought up a Roman Catholic, and went to grammar school in Peterborough.

Between university scientific and theological courses she worked among students as a travelling secretary encouraging university Christian unions.

She entered the Church of England’s ministry as a deaconess in the Chelmsford Diocese before working as a curate in three parishes in the Durham and Bradford diocese.

She will move to Blackburn from being diocesan director of ordinands and dean of ministry in the Wakefield diocese, where she is also responsible for supporting ordained women and chairs the children and youth team.

Sue is married to Colin, vicar of a parish in Shipley, West Yorkshire.