A group of 24 new Priests and Deacons are all set to be ordained at services and a series of events across Lancashire this weekend.

The events are featured in a new video featuring five of this year’s cohort and also includes messages from Rt Rev. Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn and Rev. Dr Jill Duff, Anglican Bishop of Lancaster.

The ordinands in the video are Emily Barry, Stuart Longworth, Jean Kouacou, Jenny Guilder and Kathryn Sperring who will serve respectively in Ribbleton, Buckshaw Village, Adlington, Morecambe and Little Thornton.

They, together with the other men and women in the 2023 cohort (collectively known as ‘ordinands’) will be ordained to serve in The Church of England in Lancashire (Blackburn Diocese) to support it's ongoing work across the County. 

Deacons will be ordained at Blackburn Cathedral on Saturday by Bishop Philip. There will also be the ordination of one ‘Distinctive Deacon’ at the same service and the receiving of one of the Priests.

Meanwhile the remaining Priests will be ordained on Sunday at churches across the Diocese - Broughton St John, Christ Church Thornton and Chorley St George - by Bishop Philip, Bishop Jill and Rt Rev. Tony Porter, Honorary Assistant Bishop serving in our Diocese.

All Priests and Deacons will serve, or continue to serve, across Lancashire in the following villages and towns: Chorley, Blackburn, Ribbleton, Thornton-le-Fylde, Darwen, West Pendleside, Hoddlesdon, Broughton, Lea, Morecambe, Leyland, Buckshaw, Adlington and Lancaster.