Encountering and Sharing God’s Transforming Love
Ss Peter & Paul, Wantage:
Church Street, Wantage, OX12 8AQ
Holy Trinity, Charlton:
Charlton Village Road, Wantage
OX12 7HW
PARISH NEWS
September 2023
The Battle of Britain was remembered with prayers at the Parish Church War Memorial.
Fr Benji was delighted to join the members of Charlton WI for tea and cake before saying prayers with them at the commemorative tree planted for the Late Queen’s Green Canopy in the churchyard at Holy Trinity. They were joined by Oxfordshire Chairman Tracy Strain and many supporters as they placed the plaque by the tree, dedicating it Queen Elizabeth’s reign and blessed memory.
Thanks to everyone who took part in and supported the 2023 Oxdordshire Historic Churches Ride & Stride.
Both churches had a good number of visitors and the parish receives half of the sponsorship money raised by our valiant riders and striders.
July 2023
Katherine was delighted to introduce Rosi Bartlett and James Clarke, who have both been offered a one-year role as Parish Assistant (subject to the normal safeguarding checks). James and Rosi are due to start work in September, and will be supporting Katherine and the team in all areas of the parish’s work, including, in due course, pastoral visiting, preaching and children’s activities.
July 2023
Fr Benji was presented with a cheque for £500, donated to Around Table by a group of local residents. The money was raised from their Coronation Lunch celebration, a Coffee Morning and generous donations. The residents said they were delighted to be able to support the Around Table initiative and thanked "all who make Wednesdays very special!"
See here for more information about Around Table.
SCHOOL LEAVERS' SERVICE
July 2023
All Year 6 pupils from Wantage CE Primary School lit candles and received a copy of the New Testament at the Leavers' Service in the Parish Church. Our prayers are with them as they prepare to move onto secondary school.
BISHOP VISITS AROUND TABLE
The Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Revd Gavin Collins, greatly enjoyed his visit to Around Table at Holy Trinity on 21 June and gave the project a glowing endorsement in the following video on YouTube.
Watch the video HERE
Photos by Ed Nix
STREET PASTOR SUNDAY
On 'Street Pastor Sunday', Sylvia was commissioned as a Street Pastor and Elliot was made up to Junior Chorister, having earned his first RSCM medal.
Garter Day! Where our well-dressed clergy met former Wantage Parish curates, Fr James Wilkinson and Fr Chris Smith.
Petals at the ready for the Corpus Christi procession around the Parish Church
June 2023
Fr Benji gave a blessing at the start of the Gof Smith Memorial Walk, organised by his brother, Stephen, which raised over £700 towards an external defibrillator at Grove Rugby Club
May 2023
Ascension Day Prayer Walk
Beating (part of) the Parish Boundaries
May 2023
The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla was celebrated in the Parish Church with a Civic Coronation Service, attended by members of the parish and local dignitaries including the Town Mayor and the Burgermeister of Wantage's German Twin Town, Seesen - followed by Afternoon Tea and Pimms!
Bishop Gavin of Dorchester led the joyful confirmation of our 7 candidates in May 2023
PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS!
A wonderful tribute concert for our retiring organist, John Ridgway,
featuring a selection of his own compositions performed by the Parish Church Choir and
Faringdon Singers, with whom John has had a long association.
There were also performances from past and present Organ Scholars under the tutelage of John,
and an interview with the maestro himself!
Prayer and reflection at the end of the Good Friday Walking Pilgrimage
Palm Sunday processon in Wantage Market Place
Wantage Parish's collaboration with local charity partners in 2023 saw the initiation of
AROUND TABLE,
a community event, every Wednesday, where a hot meal, warm space and children's activities are offered to all.
PCC Treasurer David Law took on Cancer Research's challenge to do 100 skips every day during February 2023 to raise money for the charity in memory of his wife, Sue.
You can support David's challenge on his Just Giving page here.
Fr Benji joined in the fun!
James tossed the pancakes while David skipped at Holy Trinity's Pancake Party on Shrove Tuesday!
The Big Station Sleep Out
Fr Benji visited parisioner Andrew Haines and others at Waterloo Station and gave them a blessing and his prayers as they started their Big Station Sleep Out to raise money for the charity Railway Children.
CHRISTMAS 2022
with many thanks to Wantage CE Primary School and Charlton Primary School for permission to share these photos.
Pictures from 2022 and earlier
Bible Sunday 2022
Members of the congregations brought thier Bibles to church for a blessing and display. IMany encouraging conversations were had about the special place of each Bible in the lives of the Faithful.
Show the light of your countenance upon your servant
and teach me your statutes.
Words from Psalm 119
MOTHERING SUNDAY CHORAL EUCHARIST WITH TREASURE HUNT (FIND THE WEIRD CLOTHES), REAL-LIFE RECREATION OF THE SAN PIER MAGGIORE ALTARPIECE, PARTY CANON AND FLYING VESTMENTS. Images courtesy of Paul Thompson
The postponed pantomime - Snow White & the Elves of Wanetynge 2022.
ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
FEATURING: CARITAS CHILDREN’S CHOIR, WANTAGE MALE
VOICE CHOIR AND WANTAGE PARISH CHURCH CHOIR
Christmas 2021
Crib service and Midnight Mass at the Parish Church
Images, courtesy of Cat Andrews, of the Service of Remembrance held in the Parish Churchyard.
Holding the act of worship in the open air allowed record numbers to attend.
Alfred the Great, king and educator was celebrated in the Market Place of Wantage, the town of his birth, with an open air mass. We used bread specially provided and 'burnt' by Marco Polo Bakery, and many people received the body of Christ or a blessing.
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The Parish of Wantage with Holy Trinity, Charlton
Church Street, Wantage OX12 8AQ
and
Charlton Village Rd, Wantage OX12 7HW
The Parish Office
Butler Centre, Church Street Wantage OX12 8BL
01235 764533
administrator@wantageparish.com
