Patricia Dorothy Hillas (called Tricia; born 1966) is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

priest. She has served as

Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons The Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, also known as the Speaker's Chaplain, is a Church of England priest who officiates at services held at the Palace of Westminster and its associated chapel, St Mary Undercroft. The Chaplain ...

since 2020 and a Canon of Westminster since 2021.

Early life

Hillas was born in 1966 in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

, to an Indian mother and a British father. She moved to the UK with her family in 1971. She trained as a social worker, before her

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform v ...

in 2002. She completed a MSc in conflict resolution and mediation in the 2010s.

Career

Before Hillas's ordination she was a youth and social worker specialising in supporting those diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. She was ordained deacon in 2002 and priest in 2003. She served her curacy (2002 to 2005) at the Kensal Rise Team Ministry. From 2005 to 2014 she was vicar of St Barnabas Northolt Park. From 2014 until 2020 she was Canon Pastor at St Paul's Cathedral. She was inaugurated as Speaker's Chaplain on 4 March 2020 and appointed as the Priest-in-Charge of

St Mary-at-Hill St Mary-at-Hill is an Anglican parish church in the Ward of Billingsgate, City of London. It is situated on Lovat Lane, a cobbled street off Eastcheap. It was founded in the 12th century as "St. Mary de Hull" or "St. Mary de la Hulle". It was se ...

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

, at a similar time; but she resigned the parish post when she was appointed to her canonry. Remaining Speaker's Chaplain, Hillas was also installed as a Canon of Westminster on 9 May 2021; she became Canon Steward and

Archdeacon of Westminster The Archdeacon of Westminster is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Chapter of the Royal Peculiar of Westminster Abbey in London. The holder of the post oversees relationships with the twenty-four parishes of which the Dean and Chapter ar ...

shortly afterwards (before 31 May 2021). In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, Hillas led a team supporting the families of victims. On 13 May 2021, she led a short service to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Parliament in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Personal life

Hillas has been married to Andrew Hillas, who is head of the youth offending service for Southwark.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hillas, Patricia Dorothy 1966 births Living people 21st-century English Anglican priests Chaplains of the House of Commons (UK) Malaysian emigrants to the United Kingdom English people of Indian descent Women Anglican clergy