Church of St Mary the Virgin
Message from Claire Alcock, our Curate
Welcome to the Church page of the
village website. I am Curate to the Langtree Team of churches, which includes St
Mary’s, Whitchurch and St John’s, Whitchurch Hill, as well as the Parish
churches of Woodcote, Checkendon, Stoke Row, Ipsden and North Stoke. There are 6
clergy on the Langtree Team and I am responsible for the two Whitchurch
churches, whilst being ably trained by the Team Rector, Revd. Kevin Davies, who
is based in Checkendon. I moved into the village in July 2011, a year after
taking up the post and am now very happily settled with the family in St Mary’s
House. I didn’t always harbor a desire to go into the church! I spent some years
as a Primary School teacher and then was at home while the children were small.
In 2007, after a fairly hefty ‘discernment’ process with the Church of England
selectors, I began three years of part time training on the Oxford Ministry
Course at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, near Oxford. Since Ordination I have been
continuing with a Masters degree in Ministry and have to take time out of Parish
life for this and for other skills training too (they keep us Curates busy in
the Oxford Diocese!) We are very fortunate in Whitchurch to have a lovely group
of committed people who, with the help of others in the community, keep our
beautiful buildings fit for purpose and continue to find new ways to express the
Good News of Jesus Christ in the 21st
Century. We also rejoice in our new Meeting Room, The Old Stables, which we will
soon be able to offer for meetings and get togethers for coffee, fellowship and
friendship. Thank you for your warm welcome to Whitchurch.
Revd. Claire
Alcock
January 2012
On 7th December 2011 we welcomed Bishop Colin to The Old Stables Meeting Room for the official opening and Blessing. There was an informal tea party in the afternoon for parents and children coming back from a day at school, as well as some local neighbours; then the evening event, both of which were ably supported by a Team providing suitable refreshments for all. Everyone commented on the beautiful way the character of the Old Stables had been preserved by the Diocese, whilst still providing us with a space with everything needed for community use (disabled toilet, kitchen e etc.)
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, a new parish meeting room and office in the old stable block next to Rectory Cottage, Whitchurch, has been constructed. 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.)