[Washington Diocese] Two priests who were serving in separate dioceses of the Church of Ireland are now living under the same roof in Maryland, USA.

The Revd Christopher Halliday has been a priest for 15 years and his wife Paula for five. For the last five years they have lived in separate rectories more than 100 miles apart.

Christopher is now the Rector of William and Mary Parish of St George's, Valley Lee, while Paula is Rector of St Andrew's Parish, Leonardtown, both in the Diocese of Washington. The couple live in St George's Rectory, and will be formally instituted in their new ministries at separate services on 25 June 2000.

The Hallidays were originally interviewed by telephone, and completed their written questionnaires by email. They were then invited to meet the search committees in Maryland for two days of discussion, interviews, Bible study and questioning about ministry and experience.

At times it seemed impossible for the two parishes involved in the appointment of new Rectors to complete their searches in tandem. Both candidates and both churches had to come to a decision within hours of each other for the process to succeed.

"We had everything ready, and I've been involved in this process for nearly two years, but it looked nearly impossible," said Marian Steinbach, chair of St Andrew's search committee. "While the search process is really long and drawn out, the wisdom of it is that it really does work!"