A CREDITON woman will tomorrow, Saturday, July 1, be among 16 people being ordained as a Deacon by the Bishop of Exeter at a service at Exeter Cathedral.
Sandra Collier has been a licensed lay minister for the past 16 years and said it had been “a late calling” to become a Deacon.
She has completed two years of training and most recently, been in retreat in North Devon.
Her retreat concluded today with lunch with the other ordinands and Bishop Robert, the Bishop of Exeter.
Sandra told the “Courier”: “Just before I retired from work I worked as for Curworthy Cheese for 10 years.
“I was also a classroom assistant alongside my church work.
“Once ordained I will continue in the Crediton Benefice under Rev Matthew Tregenza but will be serving as the main minister at Shobrooke.
“I am looking forward to it and think it will be quite exciting.
“I now have grandchildren and I thought I was retiring but because of my late calling I won’t be doing that.”
Numbers are very limited at Exeter Cathedral, so the service will be live streamed in the Boniface Centre from 2.30pm.
If you would prefer to watch the service at home, the link is via the via the Diocesan Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CofEDevon/.
You do not need a Facebook account to be able to see the livestream.
Churchwardens at Crediton Parish Church are collecting donations towards a gift for Sandra.
On Sunday, July 2, Sandra will exercise her ministry as a Deacon for the first time.
The 9.30am service will be in Crediton Parish Church, not the Boniface Centre as usual.
It will be followed by a Bring and Share Lunch at 12 noon for 12.30pm.
There will be a number of guests from Sandra’s family and supporters. The Boniface Centre will be open before the service and afterwards for those who don’t want to go home.