Celebrating Thirty Years of Women's Ordination to Priesthood

A special service of celebration took place in the Cathedral last Sunday to mark thirty years since women were first ordained as Church of England Priests in the Diocese of Oxford.

While women could be ordained as Deacons from 1987, it was not until later that they were able to become Priests permitted to celebrate sacraments such as Holy Communion. The first ordinations of women in the Diocese of Oxford took place on 16 and 17 April 1994 in Abingdon, High Wycombe, Reading, Banbury, Buckingham and Oxford. 

Many of those first 67 women were present to lead the way for their peers once again, this time in the form of heading the procession of clergy into the Cathedral at the beginning of the service. The afternoon’s sermon was preached by a member of that original cohort, the former Archdeacon of Northampton, the Venerable Christine Allsopp. In her address, she highlighted both the important and prominent role of women in the bible such as Mary Magdalene, the ‘Apostle to the Apostles’, and Junia, the woman described by St Paul as ‘outstanding among the apostles’ – and their subsequent neglect by medieval male writers and theologians.

 

Venerable Christine Allsopp preaches from the Cathedral pulpit
The Venerable Christine Allsopp

We also took the opportunity to praise and celebrate women in the Church of England more broadly. The service was led by the Diocese’s first female Bishop, The Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading; while the first female Dean of Christ Church, The Very Revd Professor Sarah Foot, served as liturgical Deacon. The additional liturgical roles in the service were also played by women priests from around the Diocese, or by those currently training for their ordinations.

Each of the hymns sung on the day featured texts authored by women, including a new one composed especially for the occasion by our Precentor, Revd Philippa White. The mass setting and anthem sung and the solo organ pieces at the start and end were also composed by women, and the quarter peal of bells before the service was rung by ten women bell ringers.

Bishop Olivia said: “It was a wonderful occasion to bring women’s ministry to the fore and commemorate this milestone, especially as we were joined by so many of the women who were part of the 1994 cohort. It was a joyful day, just as it was 30 years ago, to stand side by side with these history makers and all those who fought for women’s ordination, and celebrate all that has been achieved.”

Archdeacon Christine commented: “It was very moving to join with so many ordained women at all stages of their ministries in marking this occasion. One of our number even said that she felt more emotional than on the day of her ordination thirty years ago.”

Watch the broadcast of the service now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnf2WJfJtH0.

Photos by Emma Thompson and Rowan Lake, and used with kind permission of the Diocese of Oxford.

Two robed priests from the 1994 cohort of women shake hands as they exchange the sign of the peace during the service

 

Three robed members of the 1994 cohort of women converse in the cloister.

 

From left to right: The Rt Revd Bishop Cavin Collins; The Rt Revd Bishop Olivia Graham; The Rt Revd Bishop Steven Croft; The Very Revd Professor Sarah Foot, Dean of Christ Church; The Venerable Christine Allsopp, former Archdeacon of Northampton, Ordained in 1994. Bishop Gavin and Ven Christine wear white albs with their stoles, Bishop Olivia and Revd Professor Foot wear gold copes, and Bishop Steven wears the elaborate red and gold cope of the Bishop.
From left to right: The Rt Revd Bishop Cavin Collins; The Rt Revd Bishop Olivia Graham; The Rt Revd Bishop Steven Croft; The Very Revd Professor Sarah Foot, Dean of Christ Church; The Venerable Christine Allsopp, former Archdeacon of Northampton, Ordained in 1994. 

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A large group of women ordained in 1994 are gathered wearing albs and stoles, and joined by Bishops Olivia Graham, Steven Croft and Gavin Collins. The first female Dean of Christ Church, Sarah Foot, is also present. They are waving and looking thrilled that women triumphed over discrimination to flourish in spirit and ministry.

Members of the 1994 cohort of women ordained as priests in the Diocese of Oxford, joined by Christ Church Dean The Very Revd Professor Sarah Foot and bishops The Rt Revd Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford; The Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading (the first female Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford); and the Rt Revd Gavin Collins, Bishop of Dorchester.

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