On 21st June 2008 in the Chapel of our Franciscan International Study Centre in Canterbury Br Antony Jukes, O.F.M. was ordained a Deacon, together with Bros Antanas Bluzas and Alvydas Virbalis, O.F.M. of the Province of Lithuania, by the Bishop in Kent, Rt Rev. John Hine, in the presence of confreres, relatives and friends.  Br Antony hopes to proceed to the priesthood next year, which will be the first ordination to the priesthood in our Province for three years.

On Sunday, 6th July 2008, at the last parish Mass of the day, the community in Woodford with the friars who had overseen his earlier formation welcomed home Br Christopher Leigh, O.F.M., who had just completed his novitiate at Cedar Lake, Indiana, USA and made his first profession of the vows of poverty, obedience, and celibate chastity to become the newest member of our Province.

During the Mass Br Christopher renewed his vows into the hands of the Minister Provincial and was then greeted in a sign of fraternal joy by all the friars present