Issue No 189
Magazine for the Irfon and Wye Valley Churches February 2017
Two Decades on …
a reflection by Canon Enid Morgan
Twenty years of women’s ministry as priests was celebrated at simultaneous services in every cathedral in Wales last month. The services at all six of Wales’ cathedrals marked twenty years since the ordination of Wales’ first women priests. The anniversary came just weeks ahead of the latest milestone in women’s ministry in Wales - the consecration of the first woman bishop, Bishop Joanna Penberthy, as Bishop of St David’s Diocese. History was made on 11th January 1997, when every cathedral in Wales held their first ordination service for women priests. Sixty-one women were ordained on that day with many of them participating in the services on 7thJanuary. The idea for a simultaneous celebration was first put forward by the St Deiniol’s Group, an informal group of senior lay and ordained women from across the Church in Wales, whose members in each diocese have been involved in the planning. Peggy Jackson, Archdeacon of Llandaff, who convenes the group, said, “The Church in Wales has every reason to celebrate and be grateful for the ministry of these first women priests. They have brought rich and diverse gifts into the sacramental life of the Church, and have inspired many women since to offer themselves for public ministry. They have enabled the Church to represent, and therefore serve more effectively, the people of every community in Wales.” Canon Enid Morgan was among the first women ordained and gave the address at Bangor Cathedral during the anniversary service. She reflected on those events twenty years ago and brought them up to date with the continuing issues which face women in Ministry today.
“It was a day of great elation, but with other emotions mixed in. We had years of frustration behind us - I had spent twelve years as a deacon and we all had a sense of much energy wasted. Also,
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eventually things seemed to happen very quickly. The Bill was passed the previous September so we hadn’t had much time to get used to the fact that it was actually going to happen. The shift from hope to expectation was a sharp one. There was also resistance from people who stayed away. Twenty years on we have every reason to celebrate and to look forward. A whole generation has grown up seeing women priests and their ministry as normal and we can start taking some things for granted. Indeed, when you see photos or film of groups of clergy with no women present, it looks odd and even rather absurd. Relics of an age gone past. That said, there is still a lot of work to be done. We don’t have many women in senior positions and there is still passive resistance amongst clergy and some women are reluctant to put their head above the parapet. It will take a little time to move from what law permits to a blossoming of the new potential. We would also like to see more younger women coming into ministry. I am delighted that we now have Bishop Joanna Penberthy and I am confident that Bishop Joanna, who was among those ordained at that first service, will be a role model to attract the next generation of women priests.”