Jesus said that a prophet is not without honour except in his hometown. Nonetheless I am delighted and honoured to be returning to my hometown of Dorchester as curate and deacon. I felt called to be a priest long before I was a Christian or knew what a priest was. I didn’t grow up going to church and the only GCSE I failed was RE. When I finished school, I went to Plymouth to study English Literature and Publishing, hoping it would help me do what I wanted to do, which was write. During Covid I worked at a Coop in Weymouth and did an MA in Comedy Writing, before becoming the youth worker at Holy Trinity, the church by the bridge. Whilst I was there, I was recommended to train for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon, where for three years I have lived with my civil partner, Blue, and our cat, Percy. Thankfully nowadays I love theology and reading, especially Agatha Christie (pictured), Star Wars, and Doctor Who. I am a novice in the Third Order of St Francis and a member of the Prayer Book Society, which promotes the use of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. I am autistic and I have ADHD and am passionate about making sure that when the Church says, ‘all are welcome’, it really means it. Please pray for me as I prepare to be ordained at Salisbury Cathedral on June 28th, and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible after then.
