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On December 8th, Advent II, 2013, two new deacons were ordained and one transitional deacon was ordained priest in God’s Church at Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver.

 As the Diocese of New Westminster currently exists in the liminal space of “not yet” but “soon” following the November 30th, 2013, election of the Reverend Canon Melissa Skelton as the 9th Bishop of the diocese, the Most Reverend Douglas Hambidge, retired Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster and retired Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and Yukon agreed to be the ordaining bishop for this liturgy.

Joyce Locht of St. James’, Vancouver and Margaret Sherwood of St. Catherine’s, Port Coquitlam have both been raised up to serve as deacons in their communities, where they have been in lay membership and they will continue to serve those communities in their new roles. The Reverend Alain-Michel Rocheleau, ordained to the transitional diaconate last summer is the first person in our diocese to be ordained to serve as a non-stipendary priest, and he will continue his ordained leadership at St. Helen’s, Point Grey.

 The preacher for the service was the Reverend Christine Rowe, rector of St. Catherine’s, Capilano in North Vancouver. Christine was also the ordination retreat chaplain.

Sunday, December 8th found the usually temperate climate of Vancouver even in winter quite a few degrees lower than normal, however that did not seem to affect the size of the congregation or the turnout of clergy which was impressive.

Please keep the Reverend Joyce Locht, the Reverend Margaret Sherwood, the Reverend Alain-Michel Rocheleau and their worshiping communities in your prayers as they continue the next phase of their ministries.

Images: Top and homepage, the newly ordained are welcomed by the community. Upper right, the preacher, the Reverend Christine Rowe.  Lower left the two new deacons, the Reverend Joyce Locht and the Reverend Margaret Sherwood. Below, Archbishop Hambidge and the newly priested Reverend Alain-Michel Rocheleau at the Altar offering the Eucharistic prayer.