Six deacons and a priest were ordained in the Diocese by Bishops Robert and David in Michaelmas tide ordination services this year in St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Ghent and All Saints Anglican Church, Rome.

Annual ordination services for 2020 in the Diocese were originally planned in a number of locations.  However, due to Covid-19 restrictions across continental Europe, it was decided that Bishop Robert would conduct ordinations in Ghent, while Bishop David would ordain candidates in Rome.   Many of the close family and friends of the ordinands were unable to attend due to distance and travel limitations due to the pandemic,  However, after a three month delay, and securing both locations, both ordaining Bishops and the candidates were thankfully able to come together for the services.

As Bishop Robert reminds us in his Ghent ordinations blog being ordained deacon or into the priesthood ‘is a point at which candidates pledge their loyalty to the historic faith of the Church and their willingness to proclaim the gospel afresh to their generation.’

Photo: Ghent ordinations

In his Rome ordinations blog Bishop David quoted the sermon by The Revd Robert Warren, Chaplain at All Saints', in which the curates were told:

“You’ve been told where you are going to start.  The future is outside our reach and outside yours. You do not know where you’ll end and what a blessing you could become."  

Edoardo Fanfani, a member of the All Saints' Rome congregation commented:

“Back in 2012, All Saints’ was the first church in Rome to witness the ordination of two female priests, today about eight years later - we have witnessed yet another historical event.  After having endured one of the world’s harshest lockdowns, we Romans and parishioners of All Saints’ have been blessed with a celebration of joy after a long time of distress but that is the Christian story, isn’t it?”

Photo:  Rome ordinations

Those ordained were:

Deacons

By the Rt Revd Dr Robert Innes on Saturday 26 September in St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Ghent:

Ann Elise Bolger, to serve as assistant curate (Stipendiary) in the Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Brussels;

Dorothee Joanne de Vries, to serve as assistant curate (NSM)  in the Anglican Church in Arnhem and Nijmegen;

Matthias Jozua Thijs, to serve as assistant curate (Stipendiary) in the Anglican Church of St James, Voorschoten;

By the Rt Revd Dr David Hamid on Saturday 26 September in All Saints Anglican Church, Rome:

Professor Dr Gottlieb Leopold Martin George, to serve as assistant curate (NSM) in St George’s Anglican Church, Berlin
Robert Rushforth Morley, to serve as assistant curate (NSM) in All Saints Anglican Church, Milan;
Dr Valdis Teraudkalns, to serve as assistant curate (NSM) in St Saviour’s Anglican Church, Riga

Priest

By the Rt Revd Dr Robert Innes on Saturday 26 September in St John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Ghent:

The Revd Evelyn Harriet Elisabeth Sweerts
 

With grateful thanks to friends in Rome and Ghent, we're now able to share their footage of both ordination services in these two links:

Michaelmas 2020 - Rome Ordination Service

Michaelmas 2020 - Ghent Ordination Service

There will be a further piece on the ordination services in our European Anglicans magazine this month.