On Saturday 27th June at 4pm, eight new priests are to be ordained at Coventry Cathedral by Bishop Sophie. The new priests have already served as deacons for a year. On their ordination as priests they will remain in their present parishes while their on-going training continues.
Dâmares Gomes-Morris
Dâmares is a curate at St Paul’s Leamington.
Born in Brazil and raised in Portugal, she began ministry at the age of 13 through a worship collective that ministered in local churches and across various nations.
She has been enjoying this new adventure of ministering at St Paul’s in a variety of ways, especially through overseeing the 18s to 30s ministry, something she has always been deeply passionate about. She is deeply committed to encouraging others in leadership and pioneering new initiatives, both of which have already become central to her ministry at St Paul’s.
Dâmares is grateful for the warm welcome she has received from the congregation and for the support of the team she serves alongside.
She is married to Jacob, and together they share a calling to communicate the gospel boldly and creatively to the next generation. Jacob has been a constant source of encouragement and support in both life and ministry.
Liz Goodwin
Liz is curate at St Martins-in-the-Fields, Finham.
After a slightly unusual start to curacy, following the early arrival of her daughter, Flo’ and having maternity leave before starting at St Martins in April 2025, and then being ordained deacon a couple of months later, Liz feels she is now really settled into her role as curate in St Martin’s. She has felt incredibly blessed by the welcome, warmth and love that all at St Martins have given to her and her family as they have found their feet over the last year in their new home and new routine.
This past year as deacon Liz has had the opportunity to experience different roles of ministry in the church, including supporting at Stay and Play, deaconing at Holy Communion services, preparing adults for baptisms and confirmations, co-leading a community youth group, and going into the local primary schools for assemblies and lessons. Liz loves the variety of activities at St Martins, both in the church setting and in the community focussed activities linked to the church. These have all encouraged, challenged and shaped her in different ways.
Being a deacon this year has given Liz the space to begin to grow into the minister God is calling her to be, and she is excited to see how this calling will continue to develop, grow and shape her as she is ordained into priestly ministry.
Dave Jones
Dave is a curate at St James and St Nicolas Church, Nuneaton.
Born in Hawaii to missionary parents, Dave has spent most of his life in Nuneaton and Bedworth—go figure!
Dave is blessed with a wonderful family: his wife, Jet Jones, who works for the Coventry Diocese, and their two children, Aaron (19) and Lilly (22), of whom he is deeply proud.
Over the past 35 years, Dave has served and worked in a variety of church contexts, experiencing firsthand the rich depth and breadth of God's Church in action across different communities.
Eight years ago, God called Dave into the Anglican Church, and the years since have been a rewarding journey of worship, service, and leadership within the Anglican tradition. He began this chapter at Bedworth Parish Church alongside Rev Dave and Ann Poultney and has more recently is serving his curacy at St James and St Nicolas Church, Nuneaton, with the Revd Chris Routledge. It has been a significant season of learning and growth, marked by God's faithfulness and the fruitfulness seen within both the church and the wider community.
Dave is excited about stepping further into his priestly calling and witnessing God's work as the church continues to explore opportunities for partnership with local schools and colleges, the Saints Nuneaton Hub, ecumenical churches and organisations, and the many new communities and families moving into the expanding housing developments across the parish.
Ann McCabe
Ann serves her curacy at All Saints, Allesley, where she has been based since her ordination as deacon. During this time, she has greatly valued the warm welcome she has received within the parish.
“The year has passed so quickly, yet I also feel as though I have always been among the people of the parish.”
Ann attributes this sense of belonging not only to the kindness shown to her on arrival, but also to the community’s openness in sharing the history of the church in Allesley, helping to ground her in the parish’s ongoing journey of faith.
Highlights of the past year have included the Narnia-themed Advent outreach events and “Back to School Bangers,” a sing-along assembly evening featuring well loved hymns from across the decades. She also reflects on the privilege of leading Alpha Youth, which led to several baptisms.
As she looks ahead to her ordination as priest, Ann is eager to continue growing in her ministry, deepening relationships within the parish, and encouraging others to explore and grow in faith. She is particularly passionate about enabling people of all ages to encounter God’s love in their daily lives.
“It has been a real joy to serve at All Saints this year, and I look forward to all that God has in store as I continue to journey with this community.”
Ann is married to Jim, and they have two children and a lively spaniel. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, walking and gardening.
Mary Morris
Mary is a curate at Saint Paul’s, Foleshill.
She has been married to Iain for 35 years, and together they have three grown-up children who love Jesus deeply, as well as a daughter-in-law who is also in her first year of curacy. After more than 30 years as a primary school teacher, Mary responded to God’s call to ordained ministry. Having spent much of her teaching career needing to restrain the expression of her personal faith in the classroom, she now delights in being able to share the love of Jesus openly, whenever and wherever the opportunity arises—something she recognises as a real privilege.
Mary is deeply thankful for such a wonderful church family, who have received her with great warmth and affection—not to mention regular supplies of samosas and aloo parathas! She is especially grateful for her Training Incumbent, who gives so generously of her time in modelling godly leadership, and in guiding and supporting Mary.
Mary has been overjoyed to be part of such an incredibly diverse congregation, whose life and witness bring great richness to her experience of curacy.
This first year as a deacon has been a time of growth and stretching, as Mary has developed in her learning and understanding of parish ministry—not only in leading new services, but also in areas such as faculty applications, managing budgets, and navigating the complexities of the asylum system.
She now looks ahead with hope and anticipation to her priesting, trusting in God’s continued guidance and grace for the next stage of her ministry.
Lou Peet
Lou is a curate at Stoke St Michael’s in Coventry.
Her year as a deacon has been both challenging and joyful as she has grown to understand and serve a church of a tradition less familiar to her, alongside a diverse local and worshipping community. Learning new liturgical practices while building relationships has stretched and shaped her ministry in unexpected, fruitful and enriching ways, preparing her for future service.
In addition to the joys of weekly worship, Lou has also started a monthly youth group, creating space for young people to gather and grow in faith, and leading a cell group. She has also become a primary school governor, deepening her connection with the parish’s younger families, and has recently been appointed Chaplain to 8F (1st Coventry) RAF Air Cadet Squadron, where she supports young people and staff.
A particular highlight this year was the Good Friday Messy Church, where she and the team explored the events of Holy Week. When Lou asked for one child to come forward to help demonstrate foot washing, so many children came forward, eager to take part—even a mother bringing her baby. It felt like a deeply significant moment, where her previous careers in medicine and as a school chaplain came together and fed naturally into her vocation to the priesthood.
It would be remiss not to mention that since her ordination Lou has also adopted a bouncy chocolate Labrador cross puppy, now named Dibley! She enjoys playing with him, taking him to local fields where he can run freely, while she takes time to breathe and to reflect.
Matt Robinson
Matt is a curate at The Ferncumbe Group - the parishes of Hatton with Haseley, Rowington with Lowsonford, and Honiley and Wroxall. He and his family have felt so loved and welcomed by the church family here, and are very grateful for the way they have been embraced since arriving a year ago. Matt is especially thankful for his wonderful training incumbent Ann, who has both taught him such a lot this year, and also demonstrated immense love and care.
Matt has enjoyed being involved in the rich variety of parish and village life here, especially journeying alongside others as we walk together through all that life brings. Some real highlights have been helping to lead Breakfast Church (which you can find out more about here); running weekly enrichment lessons using the iSingPop resources in our primary school; and delivering a confirmation course before welcoming Bishop Sophie (and two donkeys!) for a confirmation service on Palm Sunday. He has also had the immense privilege of baptising nine individuals so far in 2026, which were all incredibly special services. The call of telling the story of God’s unfailing love for His people, and seeing others encounter this love, is the greatest of privileges.
As Matt prepares to be ordained as a priest, he is humbled at the prospect of presiding at the Lord’s Table, and the incredible privilege of sharing Holy Communion with God’s people. He and Ellen were blessed to welcome their second son, Amos, in April, and would be grateful of your prayers as they navigate life as a four alongside this new calling of priesthood.
Ros Wakefield
Ros was ordained at the beginning of December 2025 by Bishop Sophie at St Mary’s Church, Ilmington. The church is part of the Ilmington Downs and Stour Valley Churches, a group of six rural parishes. Having lived and served in the area for many years as a Reader, Ros now continues her ministry there as an ordained minister.
Alongside her parish ministry, Ros continues to serve as a Hospital Chaplain within the SWFT group of hospitals, a role that has long been an important part of her vocation. While the places in which she serves remain unchanged, ordination has brought a new and profound sense of joy that is difficult to put into words.
The first few months of ordained ministry have been exciting and something of a whirlwind. Each day brings a sense of stepping into the unknown, wondering what opportunities and challenges lie ahead. There has been much prayer and listening, plenty of learning, laughter, and preparation for celebrating the Eucharist and leading other pastoral services.
Recently, Ros had the joy of baptising her first baby during Morning Worship. Beforehand, she enjoyed a practice run with her Training Incumbent’s orangutan puppet, Clyde, complete with his Chelsea scarf. She has loved every aspect of ministry so far, particularly the privilege of meeting people and discovering God already at work in their lives, often among those who are quick to say they are not religious.
Ros feels deeply blessed and looks forward to all that lies ahead with an open and grateful heart, seeking to serve God faithfully with all that she is.
She would like to express her sincere thanks to everyone who has supported her throughout her journey to ordination and beyond, especially her family, Richard, her Training Incumbent, and Ricarda, her Chaplaincy Lead.