Mthr Katy Hacker Hughes is part of the clergy team at St Marylebone and works in the areas of wholeness, healing, and pastoral care.

I am a Londoner, born and bred: born at the old St George’s hospital at Hyde Park Corner, and grew up in Battersea. My late father was a Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, closely associated with St Marylebone Church and just over the road from us. I came to faith as a 16- year-old and studied English and Music at the University of York. Returning to London, I had a number of jobs whilst exploring vocation, including working as a nursing assistant at the Maudsley Hospital in Camberwell and singing with professional church choirs.

Attending a church at the Elephant and Castle was a formative time, and the call to ordination came to fruition; I left to study for the ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge and was one of the women to be ordained Priest in the first year that this was possible, 1994. Curacies in Chelmsford Diocese followed, during which I also studied for a Certificate in Counselling skills. Chaplaincy at Chelmsford Cathedral included Industrial Chaplaincy to institutions in the Cathedral parish. My first incumbency was in a rural parish, followed by a time of exploring hospital and prison chaplaincy and then seven years as a Hospice Chaplain, during which I studied for a Masters in Pastoral Theology. I sensed a strong call to return to London, and became Vicar of an inner-city parish back near the Elephant and Castle. During this time I celebrated 25 years as a priest and trained a stipendiary curate.

I am now the Priest Pastor working with St Marylebone Parish Church and St Marylebone HCC. I offer a weekly Wednesday lunchtime eucharist with prayer for healing, and a monthly Sunday evening service with prayer for healing and anointing. We have recently introduced prayer for healing and anointing at the 11.00 Sunday Choral Eucharist on the third Sunday of the month. I am available as a pastoral support to those who might not be seeking formal counselling or therapy but would like prayer, a conversation, a listening ear, to make their confession, or spiritual accompaniment. Sometimes it can be helpful for people to have these things alongside therapy. I have been Acting Dean of Women’s ministry in the Two Cities area, am a member of the Two Cities Ministry of Deliverance team, and represent the Diocese of London on the national network of Healing Advisors. I organise the London Diocesan Annual Healing service and have begun to encourage the healing ministry in other dioceses when requested. I am involved in everyday parish life at St Marylebone along with clergy colleagues, and have developed our Sew Social group in which a group of us share sewing and craft skills, work on individual projects, enjoy conversation and raise money for the church.

I love anything to do with the sea, film, art, singing, our rescue dog Rosy, our grandson Jonah and am inspired by Isaiah 61:1.