On Sunday evening, around 200 people gathered in St Mary Magdalen's Church for the Ordination to the priesthood of our own Fr Jordan and Fr Matteo Zambon, from Torrisholme.  The service was celebrated by the Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Revd Philip North, CMP, and the preacher was the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Julian Henderson, in one of his last engagements before he looks forward to his retirement from full time ministry.  

In his sermon, Bishop Julian spoke of the reality of ordination being the beginning of learning how to inhabit the ministry God is calling the candidate to, noting that after nine years, he is still learning how to be a bishop.  For Fr Jordan and Fr Matteo, they have a lifetime of learning  ahead of them, as they seek to inhabit the priestly ministry to which they are called.

It was good also to welcome members of the Diocesan hierarchy, including the two archdeacons, the Ven Mark Ireland and the Ven David Picken, together with the Director of Vocation, the Revd Nick McKee and the Director IME (Initial Ministerial Education), the Revd Jane Atkinson, as they supported the two candidates on this momentous occasion in their lives.