A deacon from Newtown who has been involved with the ministry for six decades is to be ordained as a priest by the Bishop of St Asaph.

Wendy Gardner, who is based in the Cedewain Mission Area, near Newtown, will be ordained as a priest as part of a special service on Saturday, June 29 at St Asaph Cathedral in North Wales.

The service will be led by the Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron, who will be ordaining six new priests and a deacon.

Having been in ministry in some way for almost 60 years, Ms Gardner was ordained as a deacon in a special service in All Saints Church in Newtown last November.

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She said: “I’ve always felt that God has called me, and I have struggled against it for many years. I will continue in ministry for as long as I possibly can, focusing on pastoral work in the local hospital and in care homes.”

Before the service, all the candidates for ordination go on a retreat to St Beuno’s in Tremeirchion, in Denbighshire.

The retreat was led by Archbishop Ian Ernest, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Personal Representative to the Holy See and Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, who welcomes pilgrims and Anglicans from all over the world to Rome. He will also preach during the ordination service.

Revd Gregory Cameron added: “I am always amazed to see how people from very different backgrounds carry to priesthood a huge range of gifts and talents. The ordinations on 29 June will be a celebration of talents and skills being put to the service of the church and the world.”

The service will be held at 10am, with all being welcome to attend the ordination.