This coming Sunday, St. Peter's Day, a service of Ordination to Deacon will take place at St. David's Cathedral, led by the Bishop of St. David's, the Right Rev. J. Wyn Evans.

Throughout the Caldey Local Ministry Area, congregation members, family and friends will be holding in prayer our own John Morgan, who will be ordained as deacon and will serve in the ministry area as leader and Focal Minister of St. Anne's Church, New Hedges. John will have pastoral care of the village of New Hedges and Park House Court Residential Home.

During the past year, John has been in training for his role as an Ordained Local Minister within the diocese, in the churches of the Caldey area and further afield, at churches in Pembroke Dock and St. Clears. He has undertaken residential courses and regular preparatory instruction in a variety of settings.

All who have followed John's progress cannot help but be impressed and uplifted by his personal faith, dedication, enthusiasm and perseverance during this challenging period of training.

It was with great pleasure that our Rector, Rev. Canon Andrew Grace, presented John with a beautiful, specially created stole, the vestment which marks the recipient of Holy Orders, at the Sung Eucharist service last Sunday.

Rector Andrew asked for God's blessing on John and his family and on the stole itself. The golden embroidery on the stole is specific to John, being the symbol of St. Mary's Church at one end and the Walton Cross at the other.

The Walton Cross, a Celtic cross originally carved from local stone found on the western coast of Pembrokeshire, is the emblem of the training group in which John has been studying. John's ministry amongst us is anticipated with much pleasure and he is assured of the continued support and good wishes of church members and the community.