Luke Irvine-Capel


Luke Thomas Irvine-Capel SSC is a British Anglican priest currently serving as Archdeacon of Chichester, a senior ecclesiastical role in the Church of England and the Diocese of Chichester.

Education and family

Luke Irvine-Capel was educated at Greyfriars, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997: as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts in 2001. He trained for the priesthood at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, and undertook further studies at the University of Leeds, graduating with a Master of Arts degree.
He is married to Ruth, a teacher. They have three children. His son was a chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. In the summer of 2002, his surname changed from Capel to Irvine-Capel, following his marriage to Ruth Irvine, who also uses the surname Irvine-Capel.

Ordained ministry

Irvine-Capel was ordained in the Church in Wales by David Thomas, Provincial Assistant Bishop, the Church's bishop specially appointed to minister to those who reject the ordination of women: he was made deacon at Petertide 2000 and ordained priest the Petertide next. Both ordinations occurred at the Priory Church of St Mary, Abergavenny. He served his curacy at Abertillery, Cwmtillery, and Six Bells until 2001, then Minor Canon Precentor at Newport Cathedral until 2003.
In 2003, Irvine-Capel moved to become Rector of Cranford in the Diocese of London, Church of England. He took up the post of Vicar of St Gabriel's, Warwick Square in Pimlico in 2008. He moved to East Sussex in 2013, where he served as incumbent in St Leonards-on-Sea until 2019. He was additionally Priest-in-Charge of Hastings from 2017. Whilst serving as a parish priest in both the Diocese of London and the Diocese of Chichester, Irvine-Capel also served on many diocesan boards and committees.
It was announced on 6 January 2019 that Irvine-Capel would become Archdeacon of Chichester in the Diocese of Chichester. He was collated as archdeacon and installed a canon at Chichester Cathedral on 9 May 2019.
Irvine-Capel is a member of the Society of the Holy Cross, a society of exclusively male Anglo-Catholic priests who reject the ordination of women.

Styles