All-women ordination service for nine in St Asaph

Dorothi Evans, who Bishop Gregory ordained as a deacon in June 2016, will be made a priest

Nine women have been ordained as new clergy at St Asaph Cathedral in Denbighshire.

Five were ordained as deacons and four made priests by the Bishop of St Asaph, the Right Reverend Gregory Cameron, on Saturday.

Bishop Gregory said: "We have an amazing crop of candidates - all women, and from very diverse backgrounds.

"They're an impressive and talented group, and I feel very privileged to be the ordaining bishop for this event."

Two of the new priests will be based in Denbighshire: Dorothi Evans in Corwen and Juliet Fraser in Rhyl. Anne Hooper will be based in Halkyn, Flintshire, and Yvonne Pryce will work in Gwersyllt near Wrexham.

Three of the new deacons will be based in Powys: Ann Chidgey in Kerry, near Newtown, and Alexis Smith and Jeanette Wilkes in Welshpool. Rebecca Sparey-Taylor will be based in Wrexham and Rocky Bateman in Holywell, Flintshire.

Dorothi Evans, who Bishop Gregory ordained as a deacon in June 2016, will be made a priest

Being ordained as a deacon is the first step to becoming a priest in the Church in Wales

In January, women priests celebrated 20 years since the first were ordained by the Church in Wales.