The Diocese will celebrate the ordination of new deacons and priests at St Albans Cathedral this July, marking a joyful and significant step for those called to serve God in ordained ministry.
The ordination of priests, for those first ordained as deacons in June 2025, will take place on Saturday 4 July at 2pm. The following day, Sunday 5 July at 4pm, candidates will be ordained as deacons as they begin their ordained ministry.
Family, friends, clergy and church communities will gather to support the ordinands as they begin this next stage of their ministry in parishes across the Diocese. You are warmly invited to attend. Both services will be live streamed for those unable to attend, with links available nearer the time on the website and social media.
Those being ordained deacon on Sunday 5 July are:
| Name | Parish/Benefice |
| Becki Chafe | Bishop’s Hatfield Team Ministry, predominantly serving at Bishop’s Hatfield St John |
| Lesley Gray | St John’s, Watford |
| Jayshri Hassan | St Mary’s, Luton |
| Daniel Ide | Bishop’s Hatfield Team Ministry, predominantly serving at Birchwood St Michael and All Angels, and Lemsford St John |
| Sam Jones | Leavesden, All Saints |
| Christopher O’Hara | Rickmansworth Benefice |
| Sulu Pike | Welwyn Team Ministry |
| José Tamayo | St Mary’s, Ware |
| Sadiya Yasmin | Christ Church, Ware |
Those being ordained priest on Saturday 4 July are:
| Name | Parish/Benefice |
| Sarah Bagnall | Aspenden, Buntingford and Westmill |
| Patrick Craig | St Albans, St Luke |
| Olivia Davies | Silsoe, Pulloxhill and Flitton |
| Sam De Garis | St Andrew’s Watford and Soul Survivor Watford |
| Beverly Hanshaw | Kingswood |
| Anne-Marie Kramer | Cople, Moggerhanger and Willington |
| Emily Lloyd | St Albans, St Saviour |
| Ali Martin | Chorleywood, St Andrew |
| Jaime Roberts | Royston |
| AJ Hutchinson-Wade | St Albans, St Mary Marshalswick |
| Emma Williams | Boxmoor |
| Clinton Dan-Jumbo | St Albans, Christ Church |
| Stephen Farmer | Harlington, Tingrith and Westoning |
Please join us in praying for all those being ordained, and for the churches and communities they will serve.
We also give thanks for the Revd Anne Abok, who was ordained priest in a specially arranged early service. Sadly, Anne died on 7 July. May she rest in peace.
Bishop Richard (Bishop of Bedford) will be ordaining the priests on Saturday 4 July and Bishop Jane (Bishop of Hertford) will be ordaining the deacons on Saturday 5 July.
The Collect for the ordinations, which you may find helpful in your prayers, reads:
God our Father, Lord of all the world,
through your Son you have called us into the fellowship
of your universal Church:
hear our prayer for your faithful people
that in their vocation and ministry
each may be an instrument of your love,
and give to your servants now to be ordained
the needful gifts of grace;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
For more information about being called to ministry, whether that is lay or ordained, please visit this page from our Vocations Team, including a short film from one of our current deacons who is being ordained priest on 4 July, Clinton Dan-Jumbo.