Leah Vasey-Saunders

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The Reverend

Leah Vasey-Saunders
Vicar of Lancaster Priory
Post ordination group photo on steps of York Minster (Vasey-Saunders cropped).jpg
Vasey-Saunders in 2025
Church Church of England
Diocese Diocese of Blackburn
In office2021 to present
Other post(s) Bishop-designate of Doncaster (2025)
Orders
Ordination2003 (deacon)
2004 (priest)
Personal details
Born1977 (age 47–48)
Denomination Anglicanism
Alma mater University of Huddersfield
St John's College, Durham
Cranmer Hall, Durham

Leah Vasey-Saunders (born 1977) is a British Anglican priest. Since 2021, she has served as the vicar of Lancaster Priory. [1] She was announced as the next Bishop of Doncaster in May 2025. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Leah was born in 1977. [1] She studied music at the University of Huddersfield, graduating with a Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree in 1998. [1] [2] She trained for ordained ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham, during which she studied theology at St John's College, Durham and graduated from the University of Durham with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 2003. [1] [3]

Ordained ministry

Vasey-Saunders preaching in York Minster, 2025 Leah Vasey-Saunders preaching York Minster (cropped).jpg
Vasey-Saunders preaching in York Minster, 2025

She was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2003; and as a priest in 2004. She served her title at St John the Evangelist, Whorlton. [4] She served a further curacy at St George, Newcastle upon Tyne.

From 2008 to 2010 she was team vicar of St John's Heath Hayes, then part of the Cannock Team Ministry and concurrently curate of St Peter, Hednesford. She became the first vicar of the new parish of St John, Heath Hayes in 2010. From 2013 she was Priest-in-Charge of All Saints, Harworth and Bircotes. From 2016 to 2021 she was Canon Precentor of Wakefield Cathedral. [5]

In addition to her parish ministry, she is chair of On Fire Mission, a network "promoting charismatic and Catholic renewal" within the Church of England. [6]

Episcopal ministry

On 29 May 2025, it was announced that Vasey Saunders would be the next Bishop of Doncaster, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Sheffield. [3] [7] She is due to be consecrated on 16 September 2025. [2]

Personal life

A keen musician, [8] she is married to the Revd Dr Mark Vasey-Saunders: [9] they have four children. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Leah Beverley Vasey-Saunders" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Leah Vasey-Saunders Announced as the Next Bishop of Doncaster". Diocese of Sheffield. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Suffragan Bishop of Doncaster: 29 May 2025". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "St John, Whorton". A church near you. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Braddick, Amelia (29 May 2025). "Next Bishop of Doncaster 'with a heart for the north' announced". Church Times. Archived from the original on 4 June 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "The Revd Leah Vasey-Saunders announced as the next Bishop of Doncaster". The Archbishop of York. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "No. 64779". The London Gazette . 25 June 2025. p. 12762.
  8. ↑ "Musical mum named as next bishop of Doncaster". BBC. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "About Mark". St Hild. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "The Revd Leah Vasey-Saunders announced as the next Bishop of Doncaster". Archbishop of York. Retrieved 24 June 2025.


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