Carlisle Cathedral will host a service honouring the thirtieth anniversary of the initial ordination of women Priests.

The service, led by the Rev Canon Angela Whittaker, the Bishop’s Adviser for Women’s Ministry in the Diocese of Carlisle, is destined for September 21 at 2pm, replete with a reaffirmation of vows and an interview with one of the inaugural women ordained here.

The Rev Ruth Newton will also offer support during the proceedings.

She is set to join the Diocese next week as the new Archdeacon of Carlisle and will make her presence felt with a sermon at the service.

In the space of two days from May 14, 1994, Carlisle Cathedral symbolically ordained 15 women into the Priesthood.

The district also witnessed female ordinations at Holy Trinity Kendal and St Mary and St Michael Egremont.

Among those initiated in 1994 was the Rev Canon Jane Maycock.

She was inaugurated by the then Rt Rev Graham Dow, former Bishop of Carlisle and Bishop of Willesden, at a service in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Importantly, this year also commemorates the decennial anniversary of the General Synod of the Church of England's approval of women becoming bishops in the Church.

Rev Whittaker said: "Speaking as someone ordained some years after those first women were ordained Priest, I and so many others owe them a huge debt of gratitude for holding fast, in the face of challenge, to the belief that they too were called to be priest in God’s Church, and working and praying towards this.

"It will be wonderful to be able to celebrate this anniversary with them. I look forward to sharing in worship at the Cathedral with some of those ordained in 1994 as well as with others who have subsequently been ordained."

Rev Maycock said: "The service was amazing. We had been warned that there was an application ongoing that day for a High Court injunction to stop the ordinations so at one point we weren’t even sure if it was going ahead.

"During the service one person stood up to raise objections and was given three minutes to speak after which the Registrar pronounced judgement that the ordinations should continue to a huge round of applause. There was something very affirming about that.

"I believe the ordination of women Priests has brought a wholeness to ministry. I’ve had some fantastic conversations with people over the years because they have seen me wearing a dog collar and approached me as a woman Priest."