People

Mel began coming to Mary Mags in 2007, after someone described it as “the really catholic church that likes women”. She was confirmed here and soon began discerning a priestly vocation, while writing a DPhil at Brasenose on Tacitus and Lucan. Moving to Westcott House in Cambridge, she read theology at Emmanuel, then served a curacy in Chiswick. In 2015 she returned to Oxford—and Mary Mags—to become Chaplain of Lincoln for five delightful years.

After a lock-down-ridden spell at Merton, she spent a happy time as Chaplain of Balliol before taking a break to have a second baby. She currently teaches Latin literature at Univ, and also writes bits and pieces: chapters of popular theology, opera programme notes, book reviews for the Church Times, and numerous sermons and talks.

She lives in a tumbledown Victorian house with her tumbledown Victorian husband (Professor Mark Edwards, a patristics specialist), the children, a mountain of yarn, and many visitors.

Andrew Raines grew up outside Olanta, South Carolina, on the farm his family has worked for generations, raised around horses and on the Carolinian arts of tall tales, the Shag, and (vinegar!) barbecue. At Duke he studied history and classics, sang as a choral scholar in the Chapel Choir, and stayed on for seminary at the Divinity School. He first knew Oxford as a visiting student at New College in 2019, and returned in 2025 to begin a DPhil at Oriel on Aquinas, Cusa, and the sacraments of the natural law.

Barry was educated at Eltham College, from where he went to Magdalen College to read Modern Languages. While at Magdalen he was an Academical Clerk (Choral Scholar). After Finals he studied at St Stephen’s House and did Finals for the second time, this time in Theology. For part of his last year in training he was one of the first Anglican ordinands to go to the English College in Rome. In 1974 he went to Plymouth to serve his title in St Peter’s parish and was ordained as a priest in 1975.

Having served in the parish for three years he joined the Royal Navy as a Chaplain in 1977 and served for 29 years. From 1996 to 2000 he was the Principal of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre, a tri-service appointment, and he became an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen in 1999. In 2002 he took up the role of Chaplain of the Fleet (the head of the Chaplaincy Service of all faiths and denominations) and Archdeacon for the Royal Navy.

He was appointed as a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) in 2006. He retired in 2006.

Judith is an Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College. She was from 1990 to 2011 Beit Professor of Commonwealth History at Oxford, having taught previously in Manchester University and Cambridge. Her academic speciality is modern India. She was born in India and has spent considerable time there for research. She knew she was called to the priesthood as a young woman, well before the Anglican Church ordained women. Eventually she was able to answer that calling, and was ordained in 2009.

Before coming to Mary Mags in 2014 she ministered in the Botley benefice, with a particular care for St Frideswide's church. She acted as interim chaplain at Brasenose college in 2017, and is a spiritual director. She was married to her late husband, Peter, for 31 years: their son, James, works in political consultancy in London and is married to Julia Sitkovetsky, an opera singer. Judith is a passionate gardener, and also enjoys walking and classical music.

Martin was born in 1942 and has been an academic archaeologist for most of his adult life. He has a particular interest in Roman culture, on which he has written widely, especially on the religion, art, sculpture and politics of Roman Britain, and on Roman signet rings and cameos, and continues to do so.

He was brought up as a Liberal Jew, with an emphasis on the liberal, was baptised in 2002, and a few years later was sent to train for the ordained ministry at St Stephen's House. He has served the West Oxford benefice for the past 16 years, and (apart from Mary Mags) he has a particular love for the little medieval churches of St Lawrence, North Hinksey and St Margaret's, Binsey (on which he co-edited a book).

Apart from archaeology and theology, he has a passion for animals, and is vice-president of ASWA (Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals) and a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. He is an Anglican Third Order Franciscan.