October Newsletter

Curate on Placement

Hello to all who worship at the Lordsbridge Team churches! My name is the Revd Lucinda Howard, and I will be spending my curacy placement with you all through the month of October.

I am currently in my third year of curacy at St Andrew’s Church in Stapleford where coincidentally, I followed a certain Clare Coates who was curate there before me! In common with Clare, I also trained at Ridley Hall Cambridge and have been enjoying working and learning alongside the Revd Dr Simon Taylor KC and the faithful and committed lay team at St Andrew’s. 

Before I began to explore my vocation as a priest I’d been working at home and challenging myself with a few theology courses, but in a previous life I’ve been a Primary School teacher in Whittlesford and worked in newspaper advertising and the brewing industry in Glasgow Scotland – so quite a mixed CV.

I am married to Gavin who works with his family business and as a charity trustee and chair. We have two children, Samuel and Hope, 18 and 16 who are at Comberton and Hills Road 6^th Form colleges respectively. We also have two dogs, a labrador called Frida and the recent and perhaps rash addition of a Jack Russell-cross puppy called Calvin! He is currently living up to his namesake, the cheeky boy who with his toy tiger star in in the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes.

We have lived in central Cambridge on St Barnabas Road for many years with St Barnabas being my sending church as well as the church we got married in! I enjoy getting together for meals or trips with family and friends, a good novel and glass of wine, as well as dog walking and swimming on the North Norfolk coast.

My interest and hope in coming to the Lordsbridge Team is to experience working in a multi parish set up – the joys and the challenges – something that surprisingly for the church of England, I haven’t yet done. All my past and current churches as well as training placements, have been in single churches including my Ridley summer placement at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

Whilst my tradition is charismatic and evangelical, I have been challenged and blessed serving in churches with choral worship and liturgy. Having to cantor at BCP Choral Evensong was a baptism of fire but I did it and came back for more! I have especially enjoyed working in parishes because of the people I’ve met and I’m sure that will be the same here.

Revd Lucinda will be attending various services and events across the Team during her time with us. Please do make her welcome!

As well as Lucinda, we will also be having 3 ordinands with us on placement for at least this year. Whilst they are with us, in addition to reflecting on their experiences and conversations with clergy, they may be asked to submit written theological reflections as part of their Curacy/ordination training. In these, names of people, contexts, and identifying details will be changed and made anonymous so as to preserve confidentiality. Please do email Rev’d Clare Coates if you wish to opt out.