The youngest-ever candidate for ordination in the Church in Wales has received permission to be ordained by the Bishop of St. Asaph.
Dominic Cawdell from Mold is 22 – a year younger than the usual age set for ordination – and required a dispensation from the Archbishop of Wales for his ordination at St. Asaph Cathedral on June 30.
Cawdell studied theology at Cambridge University before training for the priesthood at St. Padarn’s Institute in Cardiff.
“Dom is one of a growing number of young people seeking ordination in the Church in Wales,” said the Rt. Rev. Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St. Asaph. “These are changing times in the church, and this is recognized in the types of people God is calling to serve the church and his local communities. We’re experiencing more people from more backgrounds seeking to serve the church through ordination, and some very talented candidates.”
Dominic Cawdell said: “I knew God wanted me to be a priest when I was 16 years old, and I’ve followed that calling ever since,” Cawdell said. “While at university I became a novice in the Oratory of the Good Shepherd, and I hope to become a full member in 2019. Once ordained, I’ll be moving to Llay to become a curate, learning how to be a priest.”
Adapted from the Diocese of St. Asaph, Church in Wales
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.