More than 20 men and women of all ages and varied backgrounds have been ordained as priests and deacons to serve communities right across Suffolk. The ordinations were undertaken by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Rt Revd Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds, on 27 June 2026.

The communities represented by the newly appointed clergy include Haverhill, Hadleigh, Woodbridge, Ipswich, Framlingham, Bungay and Lavenham.

Bishop Joanne said: ‘These new priests and deacons will be a vital presence in our Suffolk communities, making a difference in the towns and villages they serve.They are bringing Christ’s message of hope and compassion to every place they minister. It is an honour for me to support them, conducting my first ordinations in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. I ask everyone to pray for them. I also invite everyone to listen for the call of God in their own lives and to consider what God might be asking of them. You can find out more here.

Initially, candidates are ordained as deacons, a servant-hearted ministry, in which they act as a bridge between the church and community. Usually, a year later, they are then ordained as priests, which allows them to preside at services of Holy Communion and to give blessings.

The ordinands included Jonathan Boast, a 52-year-old father with three children, who has been ordained a deacon for the Lark Valley and North Bury team. Mr Boast, an artist whose first job after university was as a roadie for the Rolling Stones band setting up stages on tour, said: ‘Thriving churches are transformational, providing a sense of belonging, growth, hope and being loved. They develop friendship, support networks and belonging in a society where many feel increasingly isolated. They can provide practical and emotional help to those in need and create opportunities for people to develop their skills, serving one another.’

Simon English, a 55-year-old married company director with two children and a background in transport and agriculture, has been ordained a deacon for Ipswich St Matthew with Triangle and All Saints. ‘I spent many years commuting from Suffolk to London, working as a civil servant in the transport sector, before moving into the agricultural sector, where I became a company director managing businesses supplying fresh produce to major UK supermarkets,’ he said.

Cathie Fraser, a 71-year-old single parent with two adopted children, has been ordained a deacon for Melton and Ufford. ‘Church can be a place of welcome, of celebration, of consolation and support. It can be a place of safety and acceptance, comfort and fellowship. It can be a place of exploration and discovery, learning and growth. A place where world views can be examined and sometimes conflict resolved. It can be an answer to loneliness for all age groups. It can be a place of warmth in cold weather, and food for the hungry, a place of generosity, and of love,’ she said.

The Right Reverend Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich with Ordained Priests at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

The following 13 assistant curates were ordained as priests by Bishop Joanne:

Catherine Cox, Haverhill with Withersfield; Glenda Hall, Hadleigh, Layham and Shelley; Charlotte Harkness, Chadbrook; Ann Hastings-Payne, Hundred River and Wainford, and the benefice of Wrentham, Covehithe with Benacre, Henstead with Hulver and Frostenden; Karen Lawson, Woodbridge St John and Bredfield; Teresa Lester, Brett Valley; Andy Little, Combs and Finborough; Fiona Malby, Cockfield; Peter Plummer, Woodbridge St John and Bredfield; Maria Price; Sancroft; Andrew Revitt, Ipswich St Matthew with Triangle and All Saints; Edmund Smith, Blyth Valley Team Ministry; Emma Steadman, Framlingham with Saxtead.

The Right Reverend Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich with Ordained Deacons at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

The following nine assistant curates were ordained as deacons by Bishop Joanne:

Roz Armstrong, North Suffolk; Jonathan Boast, Lark Valley and North Bury Team; Lyanne de Boos, Ipswich St Thomas; Simon English, Ipswich St Matthew with Triangle and All Saints; Cathie Fraser, Melton and Ufford; Nicky Lawson, Chadbrook and Lavenham with Preston; Margaret Maybury, Lavenham with Preston; Chris Palmer, Ipswich St Thomas; Sarah Smith, The Stour Valley.