The 30th anniversary of women priests has been celebrated at a recent service at Bradford Cathedral.
The service on Saturday, May 4, also included the commissioning of five new Women’s Ministry Advisers for the diocese, one in each episcopal area.
On Sunday, May 8, 1994, 12 women were first ordained priest in Bradford Cathedral by the Rt Revd David Smith, then Bishop of Bradford.
This followed years of campaigning, including the foundation of the Movement for the Ordination of Women (1979-1994), which led to the General Synod of the Church of England passing a measure in 1992 that paved the way for the first ordinations of women as priests in the spring of 1994.
The service looked to celebrate the diversity of ministry that the ordination of women has enabled, celebrating not just the last thirty years but also the coming thirty years.
It aimed to honour the costly discipleship journey of those who made the way by walking it, those who are treading those paths today, and those who will tread new and unimagined paths of ministry in the future.
The service also made space to give thanks for those men who have cheered women on their way, and for all who have set themselves aside to make room for the ministry of others.
The Revd Lucy Wormsley, Vicar of Wyke (pictured, left), attended the service, and said: “For me the service was very poignant, being able to celebrate the anniversary together with my mother, Jenny and Godmother, Di.
“My Godmother was among the first cohort of women ordained and it was here at Bradford Cathedral in 1999 at mum's ordination, that I first felt Gods call to ordination myself, aged 9 years old.
“It was also very emotional to have Sylvia, an LLM in the Parish I now serve in, there alongside us.
“She and her family had campaigned outside General Synods to push for women's ordination back in the years leading up to 1994.
“We have her and so many others to give thanks for as we now celebrate the ministry of so many amazing female clergy from the last 30 years.”
The President at the service was the Revd Canon Dr Sue Penfold, who was ordained priest in Bradford Cathedral on Sunday, May 8, 1994.
The service included hearing from female priests and their experiences of ministry over the last 30 years, interviewed by the Rt Revd Smitha Prasadam, Bishop of Huddersfield.
Bishop Smitha spoke to the Revd Canon Cathy Milford, former Moderator, the Movement for the Ordination of Women; the Revd Canon Brenda Lofthouse, Canon Emeritus and one of the 1994 ordinands; the Revd Kathy Robertson, Women’s Ministry Adviser, Wakefield Episcopal Area; and the Revd Emma Wilkinson, Assistant Curate, Shipley, Windhill and Eldwick.
The Rt Revd Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon and the bishop in our diocese who holds the portfolio for Women’s Ministry, 
preached, encouraging everyone to be inspired by the story of Mary and Elizabeth and their instrumental part in the Gospel Story, and to be faithful servants, confident gospel bearers and change makers, following in the footsteps of the 1994 women who did the same.
Bishop Anna also commissioned five new Women’s Ministry Advisers for our diocese, who work with their Area Bishop, and as a team of advisers, to advocate for, support and develop the ministry of women.
These new advisers (pictured, above) are: for the Leeds area, the Revd Sharon Wilkinson; for the Bradford area, the Revd Camilla Cork; for the Wakefield area, the Revd Kathy Robertson; for the Ripon area, the Revd Julie Clarkson; and for the Huddersfield area, the Revd Catherine Shelley.