Ordinations 2026

Congratulations to our ordinands who will become deacons and priests this Petertide. 

Always a joyous occasion, ordinations will take place on Saturday 27th June at Newport Cathedral at 10.30am.

To be ordained Deacon:

• Sharon Jenkins to serve in the Islwyn Ministry Area with Revd Canon Mark Owen
• Mathew Ireland to serve in the Cwmbran Ministry Area with Revd Karin Pardoe

To be ordained Priest:

• The Revd Ceri-Ann Jones to continue to serve in the Cwmbran Ministry Area with Revd Elizabeth Kerl
• The Revd Ashley Davies to continue to serve in the Mid-Torfaen Ministry Area with Revd Martyn Evans

Please also pray for Andy Langton as he is licensed as Lay Minister (Reader) to serve in the Monmouth Marches Ministry Area.

Andy will be licensed in a special service at 4pm on Sunday 28th June 2026, at St Mary’s Priory Church, Monmouth.

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A prayer for those to be ordained:

Eternal Father, your grace is sufficient for us.

Give to those to be ordained deacon and priest, especially Sharon, Mathew, Ceri-Ann and Ashley, the gifts of the Spirit they need to do your work:

May they be filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and strength,

the spirt of knowledge and fear of the Lord,

and may their delight be in your service. Amen.

A prayer for those in training for ministry:

Loving Saviour, we pray for all following your call to licensed ministry:

in their study, bring them wisdom;

in their worship, strengthen their joy;

in their encounters, renew their relationship with you.

Bless all who guide, teach and sustain them,

that their ministry, now and in the future,

will build your kingdom and bring hope to a needy world. Amen.

A Prayer for all those seeking:

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.

Speak into the longings you plant within those who seek to serve you;

speak into their fears, doubts and uncertainties;

speak over the noise of worldly temptations;

speak your will, speak your word, speak your peace.

Almighty God, you have made us for yourself,

and our hearts our restless, ‘til they find their rest in you. Teach us to offer ourselves to your service, that here we may know your peace, and in the world to come may see you face to face. Amen.

As we start thinking about ordinations, we will be catching up with our soon-to-be deacons and priests to find out a bit more more about them, their faith and their hopes for the future.

Revd Ashley Davies

Although my journey from ordinand to priest has been somewhat circuitous and not without its challenges, there is no doubt that it has been a profound joy to serve as a deacon. The diaconal ministry has shaped me deeply, teaching me to attend closely to the needs of others, to serve at the altar and beyond it, and to seek Christ in those whom I am called to accompany.

As I look ahead to my ordination and—God willing—the many years of ministry that lie ahead, I do so with gratitude, hope, and openness to whatever new challenges this next chapter may bring. I am especially anticipating, with both excitement and a healthy measure of trepidation, the privilege and responsibility of celebrating the Sacraments. To stand at the altar, to proclaim God’s word, and to be entrusted with such holy moments in the lives of others is both awe-inspiring and deeply humbling.

The future, of course, is yet to be written. For that very reason, it is filled with joy and expectation. While none of us can know precisely what lies ahead, I hope to approach priestly ministry with attentiveness, faithfulness, and a willingness to be shaped by the people I am called to serve and love.

One of my deepest hopes, post-ordination, is that in some small way I might facilitate genuine encounters with Christ for those whom I serve. Whether through the Sacraments, pastoral presence, or the ordinary moments of life, my prayer is that others may come to know Christ more fully.

Another enduring hope is to follow in the footsteps of the saints: to be a signpost that points away from myself and towards Christ. Like John the Baptist, I pray that my ministry may echo the words, “He must increase, while I must decrease.”

Revd Ceri-Ann Jones

My year as a deacon hasn’t felt like a finish line so much as being quietly moved into place.

One of the biggest highlights for me has been preaching. I’ve learned that people aren’t looking for polished ideas, but for something true and lived. It’s made me more honest. I can’t hide behind theology; the Gospel has to pass through my own life first. Often, the most meaningful moments come later, when someone shares that a word met them exactly where they were.

NHS chaplaincy, has shaped me deeply. Meeting people in grief, anxiety, or quiet hope strips everything back. There’s no script. Ministry is often simply presence: listening, not fixing, allowing silence and small gestures to speak. It’s taught me to serve not from the front, but by accompanying others.

I’ve also found myself drawn more to the ministry of reconciliation. Through my chaplaincy work. Seeing what people carry, spoken and unspoken, has shown me both the weight and the privilege of sitting with them as grace begins to work.

This year has taught me to stand closer to people, and more honestly before God. As priesthood approaches, I’m not looking for arrival, but for the grace to keep doing that more fully and more faithfully.

Mathew Ireland

I first felt God calling me to be a priest when I was about ten years old. One day I wandered into my local church, which happened to be open, found the priest, and announced, “God wants me to be a priest!” Looking back, it was an audacious thing for a ten-year-old to say. Thankfully, the priest took me seriously and gently told me that, if I was being called to be a priest, I would have to start attending Mass regularly. That was the beginning.

I come from Caldicot and an unchurched family, but for as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to God. I can still remember infant school assemblies and being completely fascinated by Jesus. Around the age of six or seven I found a Children’s Bible at my nan’s house and read the whole thing in no time. Not long after that, aged 8, I asked to be baptised.

Joining St Mary’s in Caldicot in the early 90s shaped me deeply. I fell in love with the beauty of worship — the smell of incense, the sound of bells at the elevation during the prayer of consecration, the sense that something holy was happening at Mass. It made a deep impression on me then and still does now. I developed a strong devotion to Our Lady and to St Francis, both of whom have sustained me over the years through their prayers and example. Becoming a Franciscan tertiary later in life has only deepened this devotion. Franciscan spirituality has taught me to look for God in ordinary things — in people, in nature, in quietness, in simplicity, and in joy.

That said, my journey hasn’t been straightforward. Due to life events and the study of philosophy, I got swept up in New Atheism. Ironically, that’s part of what led me into teaching Religious Education. I thought religion was dangerous and that learning about it would help protect people from it. God must have smiled at that!

Looking back, I now think of those years as a kind of ‘feigned atheism’. I said I didn’t believe, but deep down I don’t think I ever really stopped searching for God — or being searched for by Him. I’d still find myself turning up at Mass from time to time or surreptitiously slipping into the cathedral for Evening Prayer. Something, or someone, kept drawing me back.

One evening, while at Evening Prayer, I heard the Gospel where Jesus says he will make his disciples fishers of men. I knew, deep down, that God was speaking to me. Even then, I resisted. It took time. Quite a lot of time. But God is patient.

What finally brought me back was, strangely enough, the teaching of philosophy — especially the philosophy of science and the writings of St. Aquinas. The more I studied, the more I realised that many of the New Atheist arguments were not nearly as strong as I’d thought. Around the same time, a priest I had admired when I was younger returned to the diocese. It felt like the right moment to come home.

At my first Mass on returning to church, the readings included God calling out to Adam and Eve in the garden, “Where are you?” I remember hearing those words and feeling almost rooted to the spot. I was completely struck by them. I felt, very clearly, that God was speaking directly to me. It was as if He was saying, “Enough now. Stop running. It’s time.”

That was the moment things changed.

I had recently finished my Master’s degree and thought my future was going to be in senior leadership in education. God had other ideas. I began discerning ordination more seriously and eventually started training for Non-Stipendiary Ministry at St Padarn’s.

One of the greatest joys of that journey has been establishing ‘Croesy Chosen’, the Christian group that began in my school. Watching young people encounter Christ has been humbling and genuinely moving. Teenagers are far more spiritually hungry than many people realise. Given the chance, many are searching deeply for meaning, truth, and love — which is really to say they are searching for Christ. Taking a group of them recently on pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi was one of the highlights of my life.

Outside church, I’m Head of Religious Studies, which I love because it gives me the chance to talk daily about life’s biggest questions to some of the most interesting and exciting people. I also love walking, being outdoors, gardening, dogs, and going to the gym — all things that keep me grounded. My faith is deeply Franciscan, so creation matters to me. Outside of the Mass, I often feel closest to God in nature, walking and praying.

I also wouldn’t be here without the support of my partner, who has walked this long road beside me with generosity, patience, and love. I’m deeply grateful to my partner, my family, to the clergy who have guided me over the years and, above all, to God — and to Our Lady and St Francis, whose prayers I am certain have sustained me more times than I know.

As ordination draws near, I feel two things strongly: a deep sense of privilege and a deep sense of responsibility. If I thought this depended on me alone, I’d be terrified. But I know God is with me. Life has taught me that. He has been patient with me, faithful to me, and far kinder to me than I deserve.

What I’m most looking forward to as a deacon is serving people in Christ’s name — helping them come to know him, walking alongside them in life, baptising people into the Body of Christ, and pointing people towards the love of God. In the end, that’s what this has always been about.

God called. It took me a while to answer. But here I am.