THE youngest ever candidate for ordination in the Church in Wales has been given special permission to be ordained by the Bishop of St Asaph.

Reverend Dominic Cawdell from Mold, aged 23, will become the assistant curate in Llay, near Wrexham, following an ordination service alongside 11 other candidates by Bishop of St Asaph, the Right Reverend Gregory Cameron at St Asaph Cathedral on Saturday, June 29 at 10am.

Rev Cawdell , who went to Argoed School and Alyn School in Mold, studied Theology at Cambridge University, before training for the priesthood at St Padarn’s Institute in Cardiff.

Bishop Gregory said: "Dom is one of a growing number of young people seeking ordination in the Church in Wales.

"These are changing times in the Church and this is recognised in the types of people God is calling to serve the church and his local communities."

Also during the service, and for the first time, two paid youth and children’s workers Jon and Esther Andrews, from St Asaph will be licensed by the Bishop Gregory following a period of training alongside the deacons. I’ve attached an image of them too.

This year the diocese's new deacons and priests come from Wrexham, Mold, Llangollen, Ruabon, Penyffordd, Llanddulas, St Asaph and Betws-yn-Rhos, with several of them being Welsh speakers.