750th Anniversary Mass at Merton

Yesterday evening I attended a Solemn Mass celebrated by the

Archbishop of Birmingham, The Most Rev. Bernard Longley, in 

the chapel of Merton College to mark the 750th anniversary of 

the foundation in 1264 of the College - more properly termed 

The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University 

of Oxford.

                         King Edward I and Bishop Merton

                    Fifteenth century statues from the gatehouse of Merton

                 built by Warden Thomas Rudbourne circa 1417

               Image:coolplaces.co.uk

                                           The sculpture over the entrance gate

                                                                                 Image:merton.ox.ac.uk

There is an article about the sculpture from Oxoniensia (1993) which
can be read at The Sculpture over the Gatehouse at Merton College



                                         Merton in 1771

                      Michael Angelo Rooker 1743-1801

The shows the gatehouse before the over-enthusiastic restoration 

                          of the early nineteenth century

                                                      Image;1st-art-gallery.com

Founded by Walter de Merton, Bishop of Rochester, in 1264,
Merton if not the oldest college - a hotly contested point with
University and Balliol - is certainly the one which set the future
pattern of collegiate development. Thus Oriel at its foundation
in 1326 copied its statutes word for word from those of Merton.

The Chapel, dedicated to St Mary and St John the Baptist,
dominates the college and indeed the tower is a visual landmark
shared by its neighbours - as an Orielensis it appears to belong as
much to us as to Merton.

Merton Chapel

Image: tripadvisor.co.uk

The Chapel, the choir of which was completed by 1294, is one of 

greatest buildings in Oxford - and arguably the greatest. I cannot 

exactly say why, but it just is. It retains much of its original late
thirteenth or early fourteenth century glazing, and the open space
necessary for the proper celebration of the Sarum liturgy and offices.

Wide-angle view of the chapel

Image; Theo Jacobs on photo.net  

The Mass was concelebrated at aforward altar, which I regret
given the very fine high altar the chapel possesses. In his sermon
the  rchbishop made reference to the first Mass celebratedin the 

Chapel since the Reformation, which was in 1967, and to the

continuous tradition of reciting the psalter in the chapel since 

the foundation of the college.