The Most Reverend

Pat Storey
Bishop of Meath and Kildare
ChurchChurch of Ireland
DioceseDiocese of Meath and Kildare
In office2013 to present
PredecessorRichard Clarke
Orders
Ordination1997 (deacon)
1998 (priest)
Consecration30 November 2013
by Richard Clarke
Personal details
Born
Patricia Shaw

(1960-03-30) 30 March 1960 (age 63)
Belfast
SpouseEarl Storey
Children2
Alma materTrinity College, Dublin
Church of Ireland Theological College

Patricia Storey (née Shaw; born 30 March 1960) is an Irish Anglican bishop. Since 2013, she has been the Bishop of Meath and Kildare in the Church of Ireland. She was the first woman to become a bishop in the Church of Ireland and the first woman to be an Anglican bishop in Ireland and Great Britain.

Early life and education

Storey was born 30 March 1960.[1] She was educated at the Methodist College Belfast, a grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[2]

She studied French and English at Trinity College, Dublin, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1983; as per tradition, her BA was later promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Dubl) degree.[3][4] In 1994, she began to train for ordination at the Church of Ireland Theological College. She graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree.[3]

Ordained ministry

Storey was ordained in the Church of Ireland as deacon in 1997 and priest in 1998.[4] From 1997 to 2000, she served her curacy in the Parish of Kilconriola and Ballyclug, (Ballymena), County Antrim. From 2000 to 2004, she was an assistant curate at St Aidan's Church, Glenavy, County Antrim.[3] In 2004, she was appointed rector of St Augustine's Church, Derry.[5][6]

Episcopal ministry

On 19 September 2013, Storey was chosen by the House of Bishops to succeed Richard Clarke as Bishop of Meath and Kildare.[7] She was consecrated to the episcopate at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on 30 November 2013.[6] She is the first woman to be elected as a bishop in the Church of Ireland and the first woman to be an Anglican bishop in Ireland and Great Britain.[6][7][8]

As Bishop of Meath and Kildare, she is the only Anglican bishop who is not also an archbishop or primate to be styled The Most Reverend (rather than The Right Reverend), the style usually restricted to archbishops or primates.[9]

Views

Storey has described her churchmanship as "open liberal evangelical".[10] She was previously a board member of the Evangelical Alliance.[11] She voted 'no' on same-gender marriage in Ireland but, at the same time, affirmed civil unions and partnerships for same-gender couples thus taking a middle of the road approach. In her words, "I believe that civil partnerships give gay people clear civil rights and recognition as people committed to one another, and I fully endorse this. ... However, I do not think this requires the redefinition of marriage to uphold it, and I do not believe marriage should be redefined.".[12]

Personal life

Storey is married to an Anglican priest, Earl Storey.[13] Together they have two adult children; Luke and Carolyn.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "Storey, Patricia". Who's Who. Vol. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 13 December 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Bradley, Una (13 November 2013). "The woman who will be bishop: Church trailblazer Rev Pat Storey on Weight Watchers, caffeine, and how she named her dog after former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani". The Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Patricia Louise Storey". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Reverend Pat Storey first woman Anglican bishop in Ireland". BBC News. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) - nidirect". 4 March 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Irish Anglicans install Rev Pat Storey as bishop". BBC News. 30 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Bishop Clarke". Diocese of Meath and Kildare. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  8. ^ Erlanger, Steven (20 September 2013). "Anglicans Name First Female Bishop in Ireland". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  9. ^ Ryan, Gregg (6 December 2013). "First woman bishop for Ireland". Church Times. Retrieved 3 June 2015. the diocese of Meath is the only diocese whose bishop uses the episcopal title Most Revd, apart from the Archbishops
  10. ^ "A first among equals". The Irish Catholic. Retrieved 26 May 2015. describes herself as "an open liberal evangelical, not conservative"
  11. ^ "Rev Pat Storey first woman bishop in the British Isles". News. Evangelical Alliance. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  12. ^ Hjelmgaard, Kim. "Ireland could make history with gay marriage vote". USA Today. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  13. ^ MacDonald, Sarah MacDonald (1 December 2013). "Church of Ireland's first female bishop ordained". CatholicIreland.net. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
Church of Ireland titles Preceded byRichard Clarke Bishop of Meath and Kildare 2013–present Incumbent
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