Parishioners from All Cannings, Bishops Cannings and Etchilhampton joined together on Sunday to bid farewell to the Rev Sally Attwater and her husband Bob.
Mrs Attwater is retiring as priest in charge of the team ministry after 12 years. She has been suffering with a stress-related illness for some months.
Mrs Attwater was among the first women to be ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994. She was chaplain to the local hospital in Eastbourne, Sussex, before becoming a curate at East Grinstead. Then, in 1998, she and Mr Attwater moved to Bishops Cannings to take over the running of the ministry. She became Rural Dean of Devizes but handed over to Canon Paul Richardson earlier this year on medical advice.
Mrs Attwater said: “It is really very sad that we are having to move away.
“We have enjoyed our time here so much. It is wonderful round here and we are going to miss the area very much.”
The couple are moving back to Eastbourne, where their three grown-up children live with their families.
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