The smiling photo above shows the Revd Philip Schonken, right, after his ordination as a Priest by the Most Revd Mark Strange, Primus, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, at Holy Trinity, Elgin on Saturday 24 September. To the left of the Primus is the Revd Tembu Rongong, Priest in Charge of Holy Trinity, Elgin, St Margaret’s Lossiemouth and Burghead Mission.
Philip, Deputy Head Pastoral at Gordonstoun, will continue to serve as the Assistant Curate in that group of charges. Known for his predilection for the wild and open seas and for wearing nothing on his feet, one question was uppermost in the minds of his erstwhile SEI colleagues as they watched the livestream of the service. The answer: a suitably Franciscan pair of open-toed sandals!
The second photo shows the Revd Rachael Wright following her ordination to the diaconate by the Rt Revd Ian Paton, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, in St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth on Sunday 2 October. Standing next to Bishop Ian is the Revd Dr Nerys Brown, Rector of St Mary’s Dunblane, the charge in which Rachael will serve as Assistant Curate. Beside her is the Revd Canon Liz Baker, Rector of the Highland Perthshire Linked Charge, where Rachael served most of her Mixed Mode three-year training.
The beautiful service spoke powerfully in word and song, symbol and sacrament of the place of Deacons in our Church’s historic threefold order. It was especially lovely that Rachael could be greeted immediately after being ordained by her fellow Deacons Rebekah, Peter, Val, Ross and Anne, and then by the many SEI friends who had travelled to be there for her. There were many other lovely touches in the service, such as the beautiful rendition of the first lesson, 1 Peter 1, 13-16, by Rachael’s wife Charlotte, and the fact that Rachael’s mother-in-law Sandra, who recently trained at SEI as a Lay Reader, was in the procession. The singing of ‘Take, O take me as I am’ before the liturgy of ordination and the profound silences at various points in the service were particularly powerful moments, as were Bishop Ian’s words at the start of his sermon about women’s service as ministerial leaders.
Photos courtesy of Philip Schonken and Godwin Chimara
