In new priests and 4 new deacons were ordained. Below are some of their stories.

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1 Huddersfield Episcopal Area: In new priests and 4 new deacons were ordained. Below are some of their stories. Deacons Linda Maslem Linda is married to Dave and together they have three grown up children Jenny, Ben and Becky and three grandchildren Delta, Alice and Tyson. Jenny and her family now live in Canada and Ben in New York, Becky and her family live in Halifax. Steve and Sue are Dave's children bringing another five grandchildren into the family. So much of their spare time is spent with family. They also have a Mac (little dog) and a Dougal (a Tibetan terrier puppy) so enjoy taking them for walks. Linda will serve her curacy at Christ Church Pellon and St Augustine's Halifax she will also be pioneer curate to Saturday Gathering and Family Gathering two fresh expressions of church in Halifax. Linda trained for ministry at Yorkshire Ministry College whilst working as a director at Capita PLC the culmination of 25 years in senior operations management and serving in her sending church All Saints' Halifax. Linda is a trustee of Christians Together Calderdale and New Wine and is really looking forward to what the next phase of her ministry will be and is delighted to continue to serve God in Halifax and beyond. John Dracup John will serve his curacy at St John the Baptist, Coley The Church on the hill. He has been training for ordination at Cranmer Hall in Durham. Before going to Durham John was a member of All Saints Church in Normanton for most of his life and served as a Church warden and a member of the PCC. When he left school he started working on a local farm and spent most of his working life in farming except a few years in his mid-twenties which were spent driving bulldozers and other big boys toys. He is married to Fiona and they have two children, Isaac aged 5 and Rebekah aged 3. He enjoys family camping holidays in their trailer tent, walking (especially with his dog Chip), and real ales. Last summer he was able to spend two weeks on placement in Coley parish and the people he met at the Church are the main reason he is looking forward to serving there. He says I found the people at Coley to be welcoming and very friendly, and have the feeling that they make a great Church that is genuinely looking to serve God and their community.

2 Marcus Bull Previously a Baptist Minister, Marcus Bull is now school chaplain at Trinity Academy Halifax, where he also teaches A Level and GCSE Religious Studies. He is married to Claire: they have one child, Thomas, aged 16, and a young cocker-poo. Marcus is a keen and accomplished musician (trombone and guitar), and a frustrated biker whose family won't let him have another motorcycle after the Men & Motors makeover show and the last crash. Having spent one year on the Yorkshire Ministry Course, Marcus will serve his curacy as SSM in the Erringden Benefice, Calder Valley, and will continue in his educational chaplaincy role. Evelyne Barrow Evelyne Barrow is to serve her curacy as a NSM in the Upper Holme Valley Team Ministry. She trained for ordination at the Yorkshire Ministry Course having served in the Parish of St Michael s Emley in a variety of roles. She is married to Ian and has two children. Katie is in her first year at Salford University and Sam is in year 10 at Shelley College. She is a Headteacher at St Aidan s Church Aided First School in Skelmanthorpe. It is an amazing place and she considers it a privilege to serve with such an incredible groups of staff who all work together to serve their wonderful school community. Outside of school and training she enjoys singing usually very loudly and occasionally in tune. She enjoys reading, knitting, watching Strictly Come Dancing and baking. She avoids most types of exercise wherever possible apart from walking her wonderfully bonkers Cocker Spaniel Troy in the countryside around her home. She is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that ministry in the Upper Holme Valley will bring.

3 Priests Kate Currie I am married to David. We have two grown-up children, Susanna and James and we live in Netherton, Wakefield. I am happily serving my curacy in the parishes of High Hoyland, Scissett and Clayton West which are about five miles from home. On my first Sunday the bell rope broke, which hampered a service from The Book of Common Prayer which dictates that the Parson should say morning and evening prayer in church, first "tolling the Bell". The congregation were very understanding. Sadly, towards the end of October the lead was stolen from the roof of St Augustine s Church, Scissett. Sunday morning worship now takes place in the Community Room of Scissett First School. The challenges of this situation are making for an interesting curacy, with grant applications, public meetings and implementation of questionnaires all being part of it. The joys, however, of encountering the support of the nursery school in the parish, and the children and staff at the Church of England First School, has been uplifting and encouraging for the church and its future. They have already undertaken major fundraising initiatives. I feel hugely privileged, and a little overwhelmed at the prospect of becoming a priest, but I am looking forward to taking on these duties in prayerful obedience to God s calling. Stephen Rochell I am married to Jean and we have two children, Kate who is working as a teacher in Abu Dhabi and Joanne who works as a freelance musician. Her most recent contract was as a pianist working on one of the most exclusive resorts in the Maldives. Before training for ordination I was a schoolteacher and worked in middle schools and high schools in Leeds for 35 years. Stephen serves the United Benefice of Hartshead, Hightown, Roberttown and Scholes. I cannot believe that it is nearly a year since my ordination as the last year has passed so quickly. It has been a privilege and a joy getting to know the four congregations and the communities that they serve and I have been humbled by the warmth, kindness and acceptance of those communities. I am a great believer in the power invitation of asking someone to come along, of taking the risk and initiating a conversation. I was lucky to spend some time in Mara as part of my training and I feel strongly that we have something to learn from our Tanzanian brothers and sisters. Put simply Christians ask the

4 community what their priorities are and then they offer help over a sustained period. This then initiates conversation and is usually followed with a well developed Christian nurture course. This is the same challenge we face, to engage through actions and words with those whom we serve so that we can talk naturally, engagingly and honestly about God. I enjoy music, travel, hill walking and real ale. Simon Crook Simon Crook serves Huddersfield St Peter s. I never thought I would be serving in a large civic church in the town centre. Having lived and worked around Huddersfield means that I'm constantly meeting people that I've known previously in a different guise. In a sense it is as if my ministry as a member of clergy is stretching backwards in time as well opening up ahead. A great joy in Huddersfield Parish Church is the wide spectrum of society that we deal with and hold together; one minute the mayor and MP, the next minute homeless folk and those seeking refuge, and everyone in between. It has been quite a contrast to The College of the Resurrection in Mirfield, where in tight community, worshipping alongside the monks I travelled through an intensely formational time with my fellow ordinands. Here, at St Peter s, in harmony with my time at college, but very different to it, I am immersed in the joys (and frustrations) of the nitty-gritty of parish life. It is a wonder that the work I am called to as curate is also the environment in which my family and I worship and belong. Miguel Sanchez Rodriguez serves Elland Miguel was born in Spain and grew up on the seashore so has fond memories of salty tastes and old Cuban and Spanish sounds. After many years of living in different Spanish cities and a couple of countries, he arrived in England. Since last June he has lived with his family, wife and two boys aged 5 and 8 in Elland where he serves his curacy. He is still struggling with his English and is proof of the patience of both the communities of All Saints and St Mary s. He enjoys the challenge of becoming relevant to the parishes he serves as well as the broader community and prays God to help him in that task.

5 Val Keating Since ordination as a deacon last July, I have served in Batley Team parish comprising 4 churches and 2.5 clergy... I am the 0.5. I have loved every minute, the only low being that I sometimes feel I should be doing more. I get to do really cool stuff like walking alongside bereaved families, wedding couples and baptism families. There is a fair amount of pastoral work within and outside the church members and I find members of the public ask me questions that they don't want to ask anyone else. A definite high has been being involved in cemetery remembrance services for those who have fallen in WW1, something that happens on the 100th anniversary of their death...amazing privilege. Another high is working at the local drop-in with those who are struggling to cope with life and occasionally seeing them rise above this situation to work and security. Having people from all these places and situations hug me and say thank you is very humbling. My background is nursing and nurse education and I remain passionate about health and welfare. I have been married to Phil for 30 years this September and we have two grown up children and now 6 grandchildren, the youngest born in February this year. I have been on a study tour to Israel and plans are afoot to lead a pilgrimage in January the photo is paddling in the Sea of Galilee in January Sarah Farrimond I grew up in Bolton and finally made it over the Pennines in 1997, via various places in Britain and several years doing church based youth work and lay training in Busoga, in eastern Uganda. I studied geography and later theology and have taught theology and religion in various contexts as well as working for some time as a librarian in a monastery. I ve been married to Ken since 1989 and we have 2 adult children. I m very much enjoying my curacy so far, working full time in two parishes in Huddersfield: St Philip s Birchencliffe and St Cuthbert s Birkby. It s hugely varied, including helping with English language classes and chatting to parents at a toddler group; praying with parishioners in their homes and in a prayer group at church, as well as preaching and leading worship. A particular joy has been being involved with a group of young people as they prepared for their first communion. Often things can be both a joy and a

6 challenge and sometimes a sorrow all at the same time: listening to people s wonderful stories about their lives and their walk with God. Charlene Smith Charlene has had a busy year walking alongside the people and the four parishes that make up Meltham Christ the King. She trained at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, where she experienced some wonderful times but she loves the cut and thrust of busy parish life and hopes she can continue to hold fast to God s gift of vocation as she serves the people of Meltham.