Men and women from a wide variety of backgrounds are taking up new posts in villages and towns right across Suffolk, as the county’s Church of England Bishop welcomes more priests and deacons into their roles serving their communities.
A total of 13 deacons and 12 priests were ordained during services at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds in front of their families, friends and parishioners on Saturday June 28. Ipswich, Woodbridge, Haverhill, Finborough, Blyth Valley, Saxmundham and Wickham Market are among the communities to benefit from the ordinations.
The services were conducted by the Rt Revd Graeme Knowles, Acting Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
Bishop Graeme said: ‘‘The high number of people being ordained by the Church of England in Suffolk reflects a growing interest in people across the county seeking to serve in this demanding and rewarding ministry, making a difference to others’ lives. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and this means that their experiences and skill set will appeal to people of different ages and different backgrounds. They bring with them an exciting mixture of varying outlooks on life supported by a strong foundation in the church, a blend of youth and experience, and I look forward to seeing them settle in their new roles.’’
Emma Steadman, who will serve as a deacon in Woodbridge,is a harpist and she has often played in the music group at past ordinations.
Andy Little was a used car salesman who later drove the mobile library around Suffolk and he is now a deacon in Combs and Finborough near Stowmarket.
Charlotte Harkness, ordained deacon in the Chadbrook Benefice in the Long Melford area, has worked for many years as a psychotherapist, latterly at St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds.
Bishop Graeme ordained the following as deacons during the service at St Edmundsbury Cathedral: Catherine Cox, Haverhill with Withersfield; Glenda Hall, Hadleigh, Layham and Shelley Benefice, Charlotte Harkness, Chadbrook Benefice; Ann Hastings-Payne, The Benefice of Hundred River and Wainford, Wrentham, Covehithe with Benacre, Henstead with Hulver and Frostenden; Karen Lawson, Woodbridge St John and Bredfield; Teresa Lester, The Benefice of Brett Valley; Andy Little, Combs and Finborough; Fiona Malby, Cockfield Benefice; Peter Plummer, Woodbridge St John and Bredfield; Maria Price, Sancroft Benefice; Andrew Revitt, Ipswich St Matthew with Triangle and All Saints; Edmund Smith, Blyth Valley Team; Emma Steadman, Wickham Market with Pettistree. 
The following were ordained as priests by Bishop Graeme: Rob Allinson, Martlesham with Brightwell; Phillip Allison,The Benefice of St Helen, Holy Trinity and St Clement with St Luke; Raul Diaz de Arkaia,The Forest Heath Team Ministry; Greg Gooch,The Benefice of the Wilford Peninsula; Carole Jones, Bacton with Wyverstone, Cotton and Old Newton, and Wickham Skeith; Helen Prior-Townsend,Ipswich St Margaret; Gregor Purdie, Ipswich St Mary-le-Tower; Simon Ramacci, Westerfield and Tuddenham with Witnesham; Tony Rich,Sancroft; Alison Roberts, Haughleywith Wetherden and Stowupland; Georgina South, Felixstowe St Peter and St Paul with St Andrew and St Nicholas; Mandy Tucker, Saxmundham with Kelsale cum Carlton.
