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First Women Priests Remember Their Ordinations 30 Years On
One of the first women to be ordained as a priest will be preaching at her former parish church on Mothering Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of the first women’s ordination to the priesthood on 12 March 1994. Rev’d Jane Wilson is the former vicar of Offwell in East Devon and will be returning there on Sunday. She was ordained as a deacon in London Diocese in 1991. At the time women were not…
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Devon Church Offers a Practical Act of Kindness to those Facing Homelessness in their Community
The congregation at Ottery St Mary Church has rallied together to support homeless people and rough sleepers in Devon, by providing packs of useful essentials in the porch of the church. Research from the charity Shelter, who support homeless people, show that at least 309,000 people in England are without a home. This includes almost 140,000 children. The congregation at Ottery St Mary are hoping that the packs they have created will make a difference…
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Brixham service celebrates 200 years of the RNLI saving lives at sea
A service to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI has taken place at All Saints church in Brixham. It began with three minutes of bellringing by all the churches across Brixham, Torquay and Paignton. The service was led by Helen Lovell-Smith, the Fishermen’s Mission Area Officer for Devon, and attended by members of Torbay Lifeboat crew, their families, friends and other volunteers and supporters. The address was given by the Bishop of Plymouth, the…
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Exeter’s General Synod Representatives Ensure Devon’s Voice is Heard
The General Synod representatives from the Diocese of Exeter played a key role in this year’s February group of General Synod sessions at Church House in London. The Archdeacon of Totnes, the Ven. Douglas Dettmer, who is a member of the House of Clergy, chaired two debates after being accepted onto the list of approved chairs last year. Rev’d Prebendary Rosie Austin, Team Rector of the Shirwell Mission Community and a member of the House…
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Devon Church Wedding Volunteers Engage with Couples at Wedding Fairs
“It’s a privilege to be in a secular setting and show that, we, the Church, have a lot to say about marriage. As we tell couples: ‘we are there for you long after your wedding day.’ Reverend Tracey Voysey is one of the volunteer members of the Devon Church Weddings team who recently attended the Wedding Extravaganza at Exeter’s Westpoint Arena. The event, which takes place twice a year, is one of the largest wedding…
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Chaplains offer support to Plymouth residents displaced by WW2 bomb
Chaplains from the Devon Faith Response team have been asked to provide support for Plymouth residents who have had to evacuate their homes after an unexploded World War 2 bomb was found in the suburb of Keyham. Around 3250 people have been asked to leave their homes and a 309m cordon has been put in place, according to the BBC. An emergency centre for people displaced by the bomb has been opened at Plymouth Life…
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