The New Liturgical Movement website quite often features accounts of the restoration or renewal of traditional decoration in Catholic churches. Usually these are in the US but the other day one of their contributors, David Clayton, whom I knew in Oxford, posted about a church in the northern suburbs of the city.
SS Gregory and Augustine on the Woodstock Road was built in 1912, and, as I understand it, was originally intended to be the parish hall and was to be used temporarily for Mass until the new church was built. That never happened and the parish has made its spiritual home in the hall.
I have known the church and attended Mass there on many occasions since 2005. I have had the privilege two years running of assisting as a server at the Triduum there. Over these eighteen years I have witnessed the great augmentation of the decoration of the building under the inspiration of the priest, Fr John Saward.
The illustrations in the article show what has been achieved - apart from the frame of the reredos and the altar canopy over the sanctuary all the features are work initiated by Fr Saward and his parishioners.
The article can be seen at Beautiful Sacred Art at Ss Gregory and Augustine Parish Church in Oxford, England
The church may be quite small and simple in design but the decoration which accompanys the reverent liturgy creates a spirit of prayerful devotion for which I, and many others, are extremely grateful.
2 comments:
We have particular cause to be grateful to Fr Saward.Immediately before his time, there were plans published which would have effectively destroyed the sanctuary, and made celebration of traditional style liturgy impossible. Twenty years on, things are so much better. Which proves that not everything gets worse, all the time!
An excellent blog post. Speaking as someone who is grateful to attend the Traditional Latin Mass at Sts G&A in such a beautiful little Church where a true community rooted in Christ is clearly taking shape. John Whitehead has written superbly here & I certainly echo the wise & optimistic sentiments of my other highly intelligent friend David Forster in his cheery n well considered comment here. Fr Sawards legacy is something to thank Our Lord for.
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