“I am a priest, serving God and serving my brothers and sisters in the centre of Norwich and sometimes… I have to pinch myself at the magnitude of this privilege. Although I’m quite old, I’m a baby priest and sometimes I feel like a newborn and sometimes I feel like I’ve been doing this all my life.

The fact that I am self-supporting is of no consequence to me, as that doesn’t define me as a priest; the difficulties of the role are due to the role, and weeping with those who weep. The joys similarly are from the role – laughing with those who laugh, listening to those who need to be heard and supporting those who are feeling weak…all service and all a blessing.

The ordinal says: You cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and power of God. Pray therefore that your heart may daily be enlarged.

I understand that prayer now and I do pray daily for God to enlarge my heart and sometimes… I feel it will burst. Thank you God.”