Hundreds of women clergy and their family and friends have gathered ahead of a national service to mark the 20th anniversary of the first female priests in the Church of England.
Women clergy at a celebratory picnic at Church House in Westminster in central London spoke of their joy at being able to celebrate 20 years since the first women were consecrated into the priesthood in 1994.
The Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Speaker's Chaplain to the House of Commons and a parish priest in Hackney, east London, held a placard at the event bearing the words "Women: Beautifully, wonderfully made in the image of God!" - first used on the steps of Church House when the Church of England voted in favour of female ordination in 1992.
"This was used back in 1992 when we had the vote. I stood on the steps of Church House silently because we were told we should not celebrate in case we upset others," she said.
"Today we are going to celebrate."
The Rev Christine Bolhill, who was ordained in 1994 and now works in the Staffordshire village of Whittington, in the Lichfield Diocese, said: "When we were ordained as priests we were told not to celebrate. The Church has never really had a national celebration of having women as priests. Finally after 20 years, the Church of England is celebrating that women are priests."
The Rev Christine Wheeler, 59, from Norwich, who was eight months pregnant when she was ordained in St Paul's Cathedral in April 1994, said attitudes had changed since the first ordinations.
"I was eight months pregnant when I was ordained. There were people who would not take the chalice from a woman. I was an (altar) server at the age of 16 years old and even then there were people who tut-tutted about that.
"There were people who would not take communion from a woman even if she was consecrated. A lot has changed."
Former NHS radiographer the Rev Christine Pollard, from Coventry, was a deacon for four years before being ordained at Coventry Cathedral in April 1994. She said she had been "perfectly happy" as a radiographer until she felt "God rattling my cage".
She said many couples had asked to be married by a woman priest and she had only encountered one couple who refused to have a woman preside over their wedding.
Commenting on the situation before the Church backed the ordination of women, she said: "It was quite bizarre, I felt God calling me to do something that the law said I could not do.
"I was really pleased with my first parish as a curate."
The picnic was being held ahead of a procession though central London to St Paul's Cathedral to mark the anniversary.
The service will hear readings and personal testimonies. Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, head of the Church of England, will preach.
Those at the service will include senior Church of England female clergy such as the Very Rev June Osborne, Dean of Salisbury, the Venerable Cherry Vann, Archdeacon of Rochdale, and the Venerable Dr Jane Hedges, Archdeacon of Westminster.
The Rt Rev Barry Rogerson, the retired Bishop of Bristol, who ordained the first women priests in 1994 at Bristol Cathedral, will also give a reading.
The General Synod gave approval for women priests in 1992 and the first wave of women to be ordained took place in March 1994. The move sparked a walkout by some traditionalists.
The number of ordained women in the Church of England has now risen to around a third - 3,827 out of 12, 814 - and women work in a range of posts from f ull-time parish priests to chaplaincies in hospitals, prisons, schools and universities.
The service comes before the Church of England is expected to give final approval to legislation introducing women bishops in July, paving the way for the first female bishop to be appointed by early next year.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/female-priests-anniversary-marked-023205316.html
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar