10th March 2025

County priests feature in video marking International Women's Day

A new video released to coincide with International Women’s Day (IWD) at the weekend by The Church of England in Lancashire (Blackburn Diocese) has already been viewed more than 1600 times. 

Available here on Facebook, it features our Dean of Women’s Ministry; several women Priests from across the County, plus one of our ordinands-in-training to mark the day and celebrate the work of our women priests serving in parishes all year round across Lancashire.

The participants are …

• Rev. Lucie Lunn, Dean of Women’s Ministry for the Diocese who is also Vicar of Hornby with Claughton and Whittington with Arkholme and Gressingham
• Rev. Kathryn Sperring from Little Thornton St John the Evangelist
• Rev. Alice Cole, is Vicar of St Aidan's in Mill Hill, Blackburn
• Heesoo Warner, one of our ordinands-in-training, who lives in Nelson and worships currently at St Bartholomew’s, Colne
• Rev. Sam Nicol who serves as a curate at St James’ Church, Brindle
• Rev. Pippalina Daniels, a curate serving at Dolphinholme with Quernmore and Over Wyresdale
• Rev. Anna Walker, Director of our Centre for Christian Prayer and Discipleship at Whalley Abbey in the Ribble Valley
• Rev. Helen Scamman, Vicar of St Paul's, Caton-with-Littledale

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked annually on March 8, celebrating the achievements of women. 

The first IWD was in 1911 and the event has grown hugely since then. These days it's marked all around the world in different ways by many different groups and organisations including, once again this year, our own Diocese.

Rev. Lucie Lunn, Dean of Women’s Ministry, talks in the video about the importance of her role saying: “It includes implementing a strategy for women in leadership, ensuring that women are represented across all aspects of church life and are empowered to make personal progress and seek senior roles. We also have a network and an annual conference for ordained women to connect with each other in addition to offering pastoral support.

“Even after 100+ years of International Women's Day, it still is very much needed and relevant.”

Other contributions in the video include one from Heesoo Warner who says: “When I was young, I was told that I would have to become a Vicar’s wife if I wanted to serve God, as being a Vicar wasn't an option in my home country (South Korea) at the time.

“Currently, I'm a second year ordinand at Emmanuel College, and I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to learn (there where) we share our stories to inspire one another and help each other thrive in alignment with God's plan.”

Meanwhile Rev. Sam Nicol serves as a curate at St James’ Church where she enjoys supporting her church family and says: “It’s a family where you can see God's love at work throughout … where everybody is welcomed, and where you feel affirmed in God's love and where the work of Jesus is harnessed and engaged with so effectively and so frequently and with such compassion, enthusiasm and generosity.”

• You can watch all the participants in the new video available here and via our other social media channels.

Ronnie Semley,
10 March 2025