To mark the 80th anniversary of the first woman to be ordained as priest in the Anglican Communion, Bishop of Dover the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin preached at a special service at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.
Reverend Florence Li Tim-Oi, from the Diocese of Hong Kong and South China, was the first woman to be ordained in the Anglican Communion on 25 January 1944.
During her sermon, Bishop Rose said: “Li Tim-Oi represented, and still represents, hundreds and thousands of young women who like Mary, the mother of our Lord had the courage to say ‘yes’ to the calling of God.
“Today we honour her faithfulness and her courage.”
Reverend Florence Li Tim-Oi was ordained by Bishop Ronald Hall in 1944 and faced significant opposition.
Eighty years on from that day, Revd Frances Shoesmith, the granddaughter of Bishop Hall, led the special anniversary service.
A will be on BBC Radio 4 this Sunday 28 January from 08:10am.
[Pictured left to right: Reverend Florence Li Tim-Oi, Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, The Very Reverend Jo Kelly-Moore]