Celebration of 30 years of women priests

She was one of the first women to be ordained priest at Portsmouth Cathedral in May 1994, after the Church of England took the historic decision to ordain women priests. But she left during Communion and wasn’t in the photos taken at the end of the service.

So when our cathedral hosted a service to celebrate 30 years of women priests, she was at the front alongside other pioneers from 1994. Portsmouth Cathedral’s celebration service to mark the anniversary – and to thank God for the ministry of women priests – was almost exclusively led by women.

The baby she was pregnant with at the time, Aidan, is thought to be the first to be born to two priests in the Church of England. Ruth’s husband, the Ven Ian Jagger, was already a priest and working at Holy Trinity and St Columba, Fareham.

“I was really pleased to be at the ordination service in 1994, even though I was suffering badly with sickness in that first trimester,” said Ruth. “We had been ordained as deacons, but then had waited for so long to be ordained as priest, that I was determined to be part of the first cohort.

“I couldn’t attend all of the pre-ordination retreat, but I was ordained and then had to leave during Communion. I had hoped to get through the whole service but, looking back, I’m pleased I was actually there.

“I can’t quite believe that we’ve had women priests for 30 years, but I do feel the Church has been enriched by the presence of male and female priests. There are some people who feel more comfortable confiding in women. I also wanted women to feel they could be priests without trying to be like men and I think that’s happened.”

There were two cohorts of women priests who were ordained in our cathedral in May 1994, on Ascension Day and on Pentecost Sunday. Ruth was one of those ordained priest at Pentecost. The 30th anniversary service was held the day before Pentecost Sunday this year (Saturday 18 May).

Ian and Ruth Jagger moved to Durham diocese, where Ian was Archdeacon of Auckland and then Archdeacon of Durham. When he retired, their son Aidan led them out of the cathedral – he was taking a gap year after university and working there as a verger. They’ve moved back to live in Fareham.

Ruth was one of four women ordained in 1994 to concelebrate the Eucharist during Saturday’s service alongside the Archdeacon of the Meon, the Ven Kathryn Percival. The others – Canon Karina Green, Canon Sarah Chapman and the Rev Susie Collingridge – were also ordained in 1994, but in other cathedrals. Bishop Jonathan assisted them as their deacon at Saturday’s service.

The Rev Sandra Lloyd, who was one of those ordained in 1994 in our cathedral and became vicar of Niton, Whitwell and St Lawrence, gave the gospel readings. The Rev Amy Adeniran, one of the youngest women priests in our diocese, read from the Old Testament.

The sermon was given by Canon Angela Tilby, who preached at the 1994 ordination service in Manchester Cathedral. Canon Norman Chatfield, who preached at the 1994 ordination service in Portsmouth Cathedral, led the prayers.

And the music was sung by the girl choristers of Portsmouth Cathedral Choir and included part of the Communion setting in G by Francis Jackson that was used in the 1994 ordination services. A new motet, Est enim in illa was composed for the occasion by organ scholar Nora Rechel.

The full list of those ordained in Portsmouth Cathedral on Ascension Day and Pentecost Sunday in 1994 – and pictured on the attached photo – is as follows:

(back row, left to right):

• the Rev Sue Martin,
• the Rev Carol Smart,
• the Rev Rose Bullock,
• the Rev Sandra Lloyd,
• the Rev Jane Richards,
• the Rev Juliet Grace,
• Canon Jenny Lowater,
• the Rev Doreen Jackson,
• the Rev Catherine Bell (now Moss),
• the Very Rev Jane Hedges,
• the Rev Mary MacVicar,
• Canon Betty Hammond, and
• the Rev Margaret Sherwin

(front row, left to right):

• the Rev Fay Stranack,
• the Rev April Richards,
• the Rev Beryl Stares,
• the Rev Ann Burr and
• Canon Gill Hill

Not pictured, but ordained at the same time in Portsmouth Cathedral were:

• the Rev Jeanette Power and
• the Rev Ruth Jagger.