Women flocking to priesthood

INCREASING numbers of women are choosing the priesthood as a second career, the Church of England says.

Women were first allowed to be priests in 1994, but growing numbers are now taking up the vocation.

Catherine Nancekievill, the Church’s head of discipleship and vocation, said the rise was down to ‘changing attitudes’.

Women make up 54 per cent of this year’s candidates – the highest ever proportion, the figures show.

In total, 316 have been recommended for training, up 11 per cent on last year. And the number of priests under the age of 32 recommended this year has risen by nearly a third, compared to two years ago.

Jo Burden, 25, has completed her first year of training for the priesthood at Cranmer Hall in Durham.

She said she had experienced ‘the day-today life and work of a parish, from working with young children, taking Sunday school and even leading a funeral’.

Julian Hubbard, of the Church’s ministry division, said he was ‘particularly pleased to see the increase in the number of young women and men entering training’.