We have a new curate...

It is a great joy to have been given this wonderful opportunity to serve my three-year curacy at Chelsea Old Church with your rich history, tradition, love of liturgy and music; and to work under the leadership of the Reverend Max Bayliss as my Training Incumbent. Thank you all for your warm welcome to your very special church.
Following my ordination at St Jude’s, West Kensington in September, I have transferred from All Souls Langham Place where I served in a range of roles over the past 36 years, including Churchwarden and Licensed Lay Minister. And more recently at St Stephen Walbrook, a beautiful Wren Church in the City where I had a year-long placement. There, I realised how much I enjoyed liturgical worship, choral evensong and regular celebration of the eucharist; this inspired my search
for a curacy.
Born in the south of Ireland but growing up mostly in the north, I had a rich childhood across different communities, including seven years ‘on the border’. My father was a Methodist clergyman, so we moved several times during my childhood. Looking back, I realise that a call to ministry has been present since my teenage

years… so better late than never! In this new phase in my journey with God, I bring my experience into this domain as well as taking my priestly role into the wider world.
As a self-supporting minister my intention is to combine my curacy with my day job at King’s College London in dentistry, public health and international affairs. I am privileged to hold the Endowed Chair of Fredrick Newland-Pedley who founded Guy’s Dental Hospital which is now part of King’s. My international roles include
my recent election as Vice President of IADR, the global organisation for dental, oral and craniofacial research. I will be soon travelling to Bangkok to contribute to the WHO global oral health meeting. Apologies if I am occasionally missing in action.
I am pleased to be joined by my husband David who is an architect. Our two grown-up children Victoria and James, together with our daughter-in-law Sophie, worship at the other end of Chelsea in St Simon Zelotes but I suspect they will pop in to join us from time to time, along with other friends. Having spent the first 28
years of married life and brought up our children in Kensington and Chelsea, it really does feel like coming home.
I look forward to walking alongside you and learning with and from you. I value your prayers and your guidance as I settle into this role with much to learn.