Church of St Mary the Virgin

Welcome to Claire Alcock our new Deacon

Mrs Claire Alcock was ordained in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford on Saturday morning July 3rd.  It was a moving and exciting service presided over by the Bishop of Oxford, John Pritchard.  Attended by members of family, friends, clergy and well wishers, all gave thanks for the 16 new Ordinands.  Claire’s husband Chris is at present a housemaster at Shiplake College.  It is planned that in June 2011, the family will move into St Mary’s House Whitchurch with Tom 16, Eve 14 and Kit aged 10.

Our parish welcomed Claire and family at her first team service at St Mary’s on Sunday 4th July which was followed by a barbecue at Shepherds Close, the home of Paul and Geraldine Witcher.  The following Sunday, Claire preached her first sermon on the Good Samaritan at St John’s Whitchurch Hill and taught us the Greek meaning of being moved with pity.  Then after our All Age Worship service at 11 am, Claire and family were invited to join a picnic to meet our young families attending this service.

Claire is undertaking her training within the Langtree Team under the watchful guidance of Team Rector Kevin Davies of Checkendon.  It means a lot to welcome Claire and family to our parish and so we shall take good care of her as she progresses to become a priest in twelve month’s time and will be praying and supporting her.  We know that with Claire’s many gifts there is a golden opportunity for new and sustained outreach to our communities here at Whitchurch on Thames and at Whitchurch Hill.  You may see Claire walking around our village so please feel free to introduce yourself to her.

As a Christian presence has been in our community for over 1,400 years, our witness today is being alive to and sensitive to the needs of our community.  We are always here to support people in need.  With the coming years we have interesting projects planned, including our new meeting room.  Also our PCC is planning fund raising events and plans to open up our church to village people in support of church maintenance, repair and mission work.  So we look forward to exciting times ahead.

Parish

The ecclesiastical parish of Whitchurch is part of the Langtree Team Ministry in the Diocese of Oxford led by the Team Rector, the Rev. Kevin Davies.  It consists of the villages of Whitchurch-on-Thames and Whitchurch Hill.

St. Mary's church, looking from the south
More views of the church are available in the Photo Gallery.

Claire Alcock with other team clergy and lay members maintain regular services at our two churches: St Mary’s, beautifully situated by the river in Whitchurch, and its sister church St John’s, next to the green at Whitchurch Hill. You are warmly invited to attend services at either Church, whatever your denomination. The clergy, choir and congregation alternate between them in accordance with the schedule of services.

A welcome pack for all newcomers to the village is available from Churchwarden Peter Ferguson (peterf@fergie.me.uk; tel 0118 984 1262).

Read Peter’s Letter of Welcome.

Links

Read the latest edition of the bi-monthly Parish Magazine.

The Langtree Team Ministry.
The Oxford Diocese.

There is a History of St Mary’s Church provided by the Langtree Team Ministry.

New Meeting Room

In partnership with the diocese, plans are well advanced for the construction of a new parish meeting room and office in the old stable block next to Rectory Cottage, Whitchurch. This new facility will allow small groups from the whole community to come together in attractive surroundings, as well as providing a venue for church meetings.

Choir

Whitchurch has a proud choral tradition and three sung communion services are a regular part of our schedule every month. We have excellent Walker organs in both our churches and three regular organists to play for us.

Currently we have an adult choir of up to a dozen members including some experienced and fine singers. However beginners are also welcome and whether or not you have sung before please contact us to register your interest. No need to come every week. We welcome regular or irregular members and guest singers (especially men) for feast days and special events. Occasional choir practices and choral concerts are held as required. A reunion of former members is expected in 2011.

Children

Children are welcome at all our services. We do not at present have a children’s choir, but if any are interested please let us know.  All Age Worship is an informal service especially suitable for children, who are actively encouraged to have fun!  These services are held at St John’s at 11 am on every second and fourth Sunday of the month.  They include “Cool Dude” puppet, video teaching clips, fun drawing with the children and a small band.  Families are encouraged to join us, to partake and make a noise what ever your age!

Other Activities

Other activities at St Mary’s church include a dedicated team of bell ringers who support our services.  We have also started a group of hand bell ringers who performed last year at our carol service of nine lessons and carols.  There is a team rota of lady flower arrangers who decorate our churches.  Outreach events include monthly services at Eastfield House and the church is available to support Whitchurch primary School.  We undertake a successful Harvest supper with lady hosts who invite the wider community to help the church financially.  We also hold Lent lunches and Bible studies and reflective “Away Days”.

Baptisms, Marriages, etc

For information please contact Team Rector Kevin Davies (langtreeteam-ministry@yahoo.co.uk).

Reflections on St Mary’s

by Richard Hughes, a former Rector of Whitchurch:

'If only these stones could talk' people say. That is the point. They can – if only we can interpret them. John Slatter in his History of Whitchurch published in 1895, says, 'the present structure is quite modern, having been erected in place of an older building'. On any close scrutiny, that is far from being the whole story. Henry Woodyer, an architect very active in Berkshire in the mid-Victorian period, was responsible for the drastic treatment meted out to St Mary's in 1857. Yet, as will become clear, he did not preside over the entire demolition of the earlier building. There are aspects of the church redolent of earlier, quite different times. Nor, indeed, was he the first to refashion the building according to the latest changes in thought and style. Every deviation of mood or fashion has made its impact, every twist or turn of prejudice or theology. To different degrees, Saxon, Norman, Gothic and Georgian, as well as Victorian, are reflected here. The whole has mellowed with the centuries nevertheless, so that the casual visitor will find a typical country church in which nothing, it seems, is too out of place. But so far as the people of Whitchurch are concerned, this is a treasure house, as nowhere else the story of this village writ large. A study of this building and the quite remarkable records which go to elucidate its history provide us indeed with a journey through time, the ever changing ebb and flow of an ancient Thameside parish.

(An extract from St Mary’s Church, Whitchurch-on-Thames – A Journey through Time by Richard Hughes,1998, Rector of Whitchurch, 1979 to 2000.)