At the age of 84, Reverend Josephine (Jo) Pyecroft works as an Anglican priest for the rural community surrounding Quamby Parish in Tasmania’s north. She works with the three historical churches of Westbury, Hagley and Carrick, and still ministers weddings, baptisms and funerals.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, when churches were closed, Jo harnessed modern technology and did her weekly Sunday Communion Services with sermons using her iPhone. She pre-recorded them before posting to the Quamby Parish Facebook page so people could still feel like they were going to church.
Jo was also one of the key figures in saving the Quamby churches from being sold in 2018 by the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania.
Before moving to Tasmania, Jo was one of the first ordained women in the Anglican Church and the first female precentor in the world, looking after the Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane.
Serving the people in her community is what keeps Jo going. She’s doesn’t receive a stipend or other payment for her work.