The men and women below are the 2023 cohort of soon-to-be Deacons and Priests in our Diocese, writes Ronnie Semley, Diocesan Communications Manager. 

This year's ordination weekend is July 1 and 2 and, following a lunch for the ordinands and their families at Bishop's House in Ribchester on the Wednesday before, they will all gather at Whalley Abbey for the usual pre-ordination retreat from June 28-30. 

Please keep them in your prayers at this time.

Meanwhile there will be full coverage of the ordinations soon on the Diocesan website, before and after the weekend. There will be an opportunity to get to know the ordinands through media questionnaires and also pictures. And see bullet points below for engagement on social media. 

Informal pictures will be taken during the lunch at Bishop's House and single and group shots will be taken at Blackburn Cathedral just prior to the ordination retreat beginning on June 28. There will also be a special video available, featuring several ordinands and our bishops. 

All this material should be available on our website news section by Friday, June 30. Usually BBC Radio Lancashire features our ordinations on the Sunday of the ordination weekend. If the same happens this year then tune in to Joe Wilson's programme from 6-10am that morning to hear it. 

Then, by the end of Monday, July 3, there will be full coverage (pictures and story) of the ordinations that have taken place over the Petertide weekend.

All our pictures and stories will also be sent to the media to feature in local papers and broadcast media across the County; so look out for your ordinand featuring!

Further information:  

• Please note that each media questionnaire and picture of ordinands will also be send to individual parishes after the ordinations to include in local parish magazines/websites/social media channels. 
• There will be further coverage of the ordinations on social media @cofelancs and also on Facebook/BlackburnDiocese. Ordinands and their families can use the #newrevs alongside the @cofelancs and @churchofengland handles on social media for local and national retweets etc
• Informal pictures will be taken during the lunch at Bishop's House and formal single and group shots will be taken at Blackburn Cathedral just prior to the ordination retreat beginning on June 28.
• Finally, there will also be a special new video available, featuring several ordinands and our bishops, on the days running up to the Petertide weekend.

• Emily Barry who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Ribbleton.

• Jordan Bentliff who will be ordained Priest at St George’s Chorley by The Rt Revd Philip North on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of Chorley St George.

• Samuel Dickinson who will be ordained Priest at Christchurch, Thornton by The Rt Revd Tony Porter on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackburn Christ Church with St Matthew.

• Peter Dillon who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackburn St Stephen and St James.

• Andrew Downes who will be ordained Priest at Christchurch, Thornton by The Rt Revd Tony Porter on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of Thornton-Le-Fylde Christ Church.

• Lloyd Etheridge who will be ordained Priest at Christ Church, Thornton by The Rt Revd Tony Porter on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of Leyland St Andrew.

• Rachel Fielding who will be ordained Distinctive Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Darwen St Cuthbert and ELHT NHS Chaplaincy.

• Rachel Frost who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of West Pendleside.

• Alan Gault who will be ordained Priest at St John the Baptist, Broughton by The Rt Revd Jill Duff on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackburn St Aidan and St Luke, St Mark and St Philip. 

• Matthew Gaze who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Hoddlesden St Paul's and Darwen St Barnabas.

• Nathanial Gilmour who will be ordained Priest at St John the Baptist, Broughton by The Rt Revd Jill Duff on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of Broughton St John Baptist.

• Jennifer Guilder who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Poulton-Le-Sands Holy Trinity with Morecambe St Laurence.

• Joe Houghton who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Lea St Christopher.

• Andrew Kesiak who will be received into the priesthood at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Leyland St James.

• Jean Kouacou who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Adlington St Paul.

• James Lapping who was ordained Priest at Blackburn the Saviour by The Rt Revd Philip North on 3rd June 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackburn The Redeemer.

• Stuart Longworth who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Buckshaw Village.

• Nikki Mann who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Lancaster St Chad and St Luke Skerton.

• Martin McDonald who will be ordained Priest at St John the Baptist, Broughton by The Rt Revd Jill Duff on 2nd July 2023 to serve in Lancashire Teaching Hospital.

• Ryan Otley who will be ordained Priest at St George’s Chorley by The Rt Revd Philip North on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of St Annes on Sea, St Anne (Heyhouses).

• Matt Rowley who will be ordained Priest at Christchurch, Thornton by The Rt Revd Tony Porter on 2nd July 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackpool The Trinity Benefice.

• Ian Rushton who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackpool St Christopher and St Nicholas.

• Kathryn Sperring who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Little Thornton St John the Evangelist

• Tom Swallow who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackpool St John.

• LJ Tiffney who will be ordained Deacon at Blackburn Cathedral by The Rt Revd Philip North on 1st July 2023 to serve in the parish of Blackpool St Thomas.

Ronnie Semley, June 2023