This is a text-only version of an article first published on Monday, 10 April 2017. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
TWELVE new Canons were commissioned at Oxford's Christ Church Cathedral during an Evensong on Saturday 23 January.
Canons are selected because of their work within the Diocese of Oxford and the wider church.
Eight Anglican priests will became Honorary Canons while four others will be made Lay/Ecumenical Canons.
The new Honorary Canons at Christ Church Cathedral.
The Revd Joanna CollicuttJoanna is the Oxford Diocesan Advisor for the Spiritual Care of Older People and the Karl Jaspers Lecturer in psychology of religion and spirituality at Ripon College Cuddesdon.
She is also on the ministry team of Witney parish.
Joanna has published several books on the interface between psychology and Christian faith, the most recent of which is The Psychology of Christian Character Formation (SCM). The Revd Rod Cosh:The Revd Rod Cosh does not have a parish but works full-time as the Area Dean for Burnham and Slough.
"After many years in parish ministry and as a hospital chaplain I really felt God was calling me to this.
It is a very different job from other area deans who have their own parishes too," says Rod, who moved to his vicarage in Slough from Staines, in Surrey, where he was the vicar of three churches.
"It frees me up to support other clergy, church wardens and parishes.
It means I can hopefully put quality time in if anyone needs support so at one level it is a pastoral role.
It is also about trying to draw a very varied area together. "The Revd Peter GrovesPeter Groves has been at St Mary Magdalen, Oxford for ten years, having previously been a college chaplain.
"Mary Mags" is a busy city-centre Anglo-Catholic church celebrated for its liturgical tradition and well known for nurturing vocations in men and women.
Peter also teaches at Worcester College, and is passionate about the role of theology in church and university.
He is married to Beatrice, who teaches English at Trinity College, and they have two sons, Michael, eight, and Edward, four.
Peter's vices include wine, quizzing and Queens Park Rangers football club. The Revd Alan HodgettsAfter 24 years in parish ministry, in 2006 the Lord called me to HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes. By His grace, I became the Managing Chaplain of a wonderful and growing multi-faith team of 26 chaplains and 37 volunteers. Together we minister to the faith and pastoral needs of over 700 prisoners and 400 staff. We welcome around 50 new prisoners every week and as the 2015 Offender Rehabilitation Act gathers momentum, we are developing our ministry to the 30 or so offenders leaving our prison each week, a third of whom are returning to parishes in our diocese. The Revd Julie RamsbottomJulie has spent 35 years engaged in parish ministry.
She is currently Rector of Finchampstead and California, one of the largest congregations in the Berkshire Archdeaconry where the main growth is amongst families with young children.
She leads a ministry team of eight, and delights in the fact that the parish is of broad churchmanship, offering a wide variety of worship opportunities from contemporary to BCP matins and evensong.
Julie is also Area Dean of Sonning, and is energised by the challenge of supporting colleagues and assisting parishes to collaborate more effectively. The Revd Vaughan RobertsI have been at St Ebbe's since I moved to Oxford in 1989.
From our central location we have the privilege of ministering to a great variety of people: the residents of our Parish, students, visitors from overseas, the homeless community and people from across the city.
In all we do we seek to build a warm community and serve others as we share the good news of Jesus Christ. The Revd Dr Margaret WhippThe Revd Dr Margaret Whipp leads the chaplaincy team for the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Margaret's first profession was in medicine, and her life has taken an interesting route to bring her back into the NHS after 25 years in ministry.
Along the way, she has shared in parish ministry in the Diocese of Sheffield, led the university chaplaincy at Oxford Brookes, as well as making substantial contributions to theological education both in Durham and, locally, at Ripon College Cuddesdon.
At the heart of all this is pastoral ministry alongside people in whichever sector of life and work they are found. The Revd Richard ZairOrdained in 1980, I came to the Oxford Diocese nearly seven years ago (having worked for more than 18 years with the Church Pastoral Aid Society, initially as their Director of Evangelism, then the Director of Consultants, and lastly as a church consultant).
For the first few years I was Berkshire Archdeaconry Mission Advisor as well as Priest-in-Charge of Marcham with Garford.
I am now Vicar of two parishes: Marcham with Garford, and St Mary Magdalene, Shippon.
I am currently Area Dean of Abingdon.
I am also a member of the Diocesan missioners team. Andrew Anderson-GearAndrew was commissioned in December as the Diocese of Oxford's new Director of Mission.
He was the Parish Development Adviser for the Buckingham area from 2003 to 2015. Andrew has worked for the Church for the past 25 years.
He has been the diocesan youth adviser in both the Diocese of Ely and the Diocese of Oxford.
He and his wife, Lindsey, worship at St Edburg's Church in Bicester where he leads the All Age service team. Stephen DarlingtonStephen is one of the country's leading choral conductors.
He has been Director of Music and Tutor in Music at Christ Church since 1985.
He has established Christ Church as an acknowledged centre of academic musical excellence, and maintained the highest choral traditions of the Church of England in the Cathedral.
He is renowned for his direction of choral music with an extensive discography including several award-winning recording. He is currently Choragus of the University of Oxford and the holder of a Lambeth Doctorate in Music. The Revd Dr Carla A.
Grosch-MillerCarla was ordained in the United Church of Christ (US) and now serves the United Reformed Church. She is a practical theologian, educator and poet, as well as a local church minister and Chaplain to the Moderator of the General Assembly of the URC 2014-2016. The Revd Dr Robin GibbonsFr Robin Gibbons is an Eastern Rite Catholic Priest ,one of the Chaplains for the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church (Arab Catholics).
For many years he has been ecumenical partner in the Benefice of Steeple Aston, North Aston and Tackley He works in Oxford University and is a member of the UK Middle East Church leaders group.
;EndsFor more information and/or to interview any of the new canons contact Jo Duckles on 01865 208227 or 07880 716761 or Sarah Meyrick on 01865 208224 or 07824 906839.