BISHOP Jonathan today announced a new priest who will lead two high-profile churches in Fareham.

The Rev Dr Sam Cullen, who is currently associate vicar at St Mary’s, Fratton, will become priest-in-charge of Holy Trinity with St Columba, Fareham.

Holy Trinity is one of the town centre churches, on West Street, whereas St Columba serves a residential area off Highlands Road. The two churches have been a team ministry for several decades.

Sam was ordained in 2017 and served as a curate in Petersfield and Buriton, before taking up her current role in 2020.

She journeyed alongside the congregation at St Wilfrid’s Church, Fratton – one of the original church plants from St Mary’s on Fratton Road – as they took the difficult decision to close their church building in 2022. Since then Sam has been mainly based at the parish’s other mission church, St Faith’s in Landport.

Before ordination, Sam had grown up as part of a Catholic family in Wicklow, Ireland, and studied for a Masters at Keele University and a PhD in health science in Newcastle. She worked as a researcher for the NHS before sensing a call to ordained ministry in the Church of England.

Sam spent several years on the Isle of Wight, and volunteered at St John’s, Ryde, and Holy Cross, Binstead, as she worked through this sense of calling. She was also at St George’s Church, Portsea, before theological training at Ripon College, Cuddesdon.

She said: “I’m delighted to be staying in the Diocese of Portsmouth, it’s a friendly place where people look after each other and it’s like a second family to me.

“I’m so happy to be appointed as priest-in-charge of Holy Trinity with St Columba, Fareham. I love the people of Portsmouth, and I will miss being with them – they have been the best congregations. But I have a clear sense that God is calling me to Fareham and I’m looking forward to what happens next.”

The last team rector of Holy Trinity and St Columba was the Rev Sally Davenport, who retired in 2021. More recently, the Rev Greg Bakker, who was mission priest there and also our diocese’s Dean of Pioneer Ministry, has also moved on.

Sam is married to Lionel and between them they have four children, three cats, three rabbits and she hoping to get a dog soon. She will be licensed to her new role by the Bishop of Portsmouth on July 25.