One Church in Worcestershire has installed three female bishops in recent years!

Last year, eleven year old Maisie Leyland was installed as the 44th Junior Bishop of Claines, serving from 7 to 28 December. She was the third girl to hold that post, upholding a Claines tradition of junior bishops that now stretches back nearly half a century. 

Originally a mediaeval tradition, choirboys were selected as Boy Bishops. The main idea of the election was to impress upon the children the honour and dignity of the Priesthood, the Boy Bishop being held in deep veneration by both adults and children. The tradition of Boy Bishop was re-started at Claines in the 1970’s and, moving ahead of the times, Claines appointed their first girl to the post of Junior Bishop in 2011. 

Maisie was thrilled to be the Junior Bishop and took services at both Claines and St George’s Churches, helping celebrate the ancient and renewed relationship between the two churches. The Junior Bishop wears a full set of Bishop’s robes and carries the Claines Crozier, a mediaeval silver crozier that was found during renovations in the local Mug House in the 1940’s and presented to the then Bishop of Worcester.

As well as reading at services Maisie preached the sermon at Claines on Christmas Day! 

Please pray for this year’s Junior Bishop at Claines Church who will have been installed on the first Sunday in December.

Pershore Deanery – Rural Dean: Susan Renshaw; Lay Chair: Richard Mumford 

Diocese of Chester: Bishop Peter Forster
with Bishop Keith Sinclair 

Diocese of Kuopio (Finland): Bishop Jari Jolkkonen

Diocese of the Windward Islands (West Indies): Bishop Calvert Friday