4 Louise Heffernan


On 25 January 1867, St Michael and All Angels’ Church was consecrated and dedicated by Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford. The building of the Church, was the vision of Na- thanial Dodson, Vicar of Abingdon since 1824.He ar- gued that a county town as populous as Abingdon need- ed more than the two churches it currently possessed for the relief of ‘spiritual destitu- tion’.


On 25 January 2017, we of St Michael’s, joined by many friends from the town and from our partner churches, celebrated the vision of the Revd Nathaniel Dodson with an anniver- sary service in which we were able ‘to give thanks for all that is past, and look to the future in hope and faith under the same hand of God which has guided all in the place over the last 150 years’ (the Revd Paul Smith). The Bishop of Dor- chester, Colin Fletcher, presided and preached at the service and took for his theme the strap-line of our year of commemoration ‘…into the cen- tre, out from the edge…’ He reminded us of the ways those words have been enacted in the actions and worship of those associ- ated with St Michael’s in the past.


And he then moved to the challenges of today and of the future as we continue to keep centred on the love of Christ, as we go out into the world.


Our worship was assisted by the combined choir of the three Abing- don churches, led by Glynne Butt who chose two beautiful anthems, Bruckner’s ‘Locus Iste’ and ‘Be still for the presence of the Lord’ (David Evans, arr. Tam- blin) for the occa- sion.


It was delightful to welcome a number of guests, including the Dep-


uty Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Mr Poul Christen- sen CBE, and many old friends, among them: Fr Keith Kinnaird, Fr Peter Doll, Fr Peter Silva, and the families of Fr Gordon Roe and Fr John Wil- liams – the latter two having served as incum- bents a long time ago. So much enjoyment was had as memories were shared.


And the icing on the cake, literally as well as metaphorically, was a cake made especially by Chris Waite which we enjoyed along with some appropriate bubbly to celebrate a very happy and uplifting evening.


March 2017


St Michael and All Angels: 150 years Dedication Festival …into the centre, out from the edge…


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