Members from churches across Abingdon came together this Good Friday for a walk of witness, following a cross from the Library to the Market Place.

There, they gathered to sing hymns — There is a Green Hill, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, and Amazing Grace — and to hear a reading of the Crucifixion of Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel. The Salvation Army band played, and Revd Carol Hamilton-Foyn addressed the crowd.

This Easter Sunday, there is an invitation to celebrate with Christians across Abingdon. Services are taking place at the following churches which are members of the Church in Abingdon:

Abingdon Baptist Church (OX14 5AG)
10.30 am — Easter Sunday All-Age Service, including Communion

Abingdon Community Church (Northcourt Community Centre, OX14 1NS)
10.30 am — All-Age Interactive Service: activities, crafts, short talk, and sung worship

Abingdon Vineyard Church (Preston Road Community Centre, OX14 5NR)
10.30 am — Easter Service

All Saints Methodist Church (OX14 2AQ)
10.30 am — Morning Service and Communion

Christ Church (Northcourt Road / Long Furlong Primary School)
8.00 am — BCP Communion (Northcourt Road, OX14 1PL)
10.00 am — Holy Communion (Long Furlong, OX14 1XP)
10.30 am — Holy Communion (Northcourt Road)
6.30 pm — Evening Service with Baptisms (Northcourt Road)

Our Lady and St Edmund RC Church (OX14 3PL)
Mass: 8.00 am, 9.30 am, and 11.30 am

Peachcroft Christian Centre (OX14 2RT)
10.00 am — Easter Celebration for All

Pearly Gates Church (Fitzharrys School, OX14 1NP)
10.30 am — Resurrection Service, followed by refreshments

Salvation Army (OX14 5BL)
10.30 am — Easter Service

St Helen’s Church (OX14 5BS)
8.00 am — Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) with hymns
10.30 am — Festival Eucharist of the Resurrection with junior crafts and an Easter egg hunt

St Michael and All Angels’ Church (OX14 1DB)
9.30 am — Sung Mass of the Resurrection

St Nicolas’ Church (OX14 3NZ)
11.15 am — Holy Communion and Blessing of the Paschal Candle

Trinity Church (OX14 1DB)
10.30 am — Morning Service and Communion

Saint David’s Day was celebrated today, 1 March. In Abingdon, Helen and Douglas House marked the day with a red-and-white display and daffodils.

At Trinity Church there were displays of daffodils outside the building, inside the building, and some people wore daffodils.

Three Welsh hymn tunes were sung (with English words). The story was told of Saint David’s last sermon. People had heard that he was dying and came from far and wide, expecting something momentous. Tradition says that Saint David had a surprisingly simple message:

Brothers and sisters,
be joyful.
Keep your faith and your creed.
And do the little things
that you have seen and heard me do.

This morning volunteers were assembling Christingles at St Helen’s Church. A Christingle is a Christian symbol used at Christmas. An orange represents the world, a candle Christ the light, red ribbon God’s love, and sweets or dried fruit creation’s gifts

At St Helens they were making 300 Christingles.

Below is a list of all the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services in Abingdon that I could find online. They include 7 Christingle Services – a lot of oranges. (Please check individual church websites or face book pages before attending, in case I made an error.)

Abbey Baptist Church (Checker Walk)
Christmas Day
* 10:30 am – Christmas Day Service

Abingdon Baptist Church (Ock Street)
Christmas Eve
* 11:30 pm – Midnight Communion
Christmas Day
* 10:00 am – Christmas Day Celebration

All Saints (Appleford Drive)
Christmas Day
* 10:00 am – Morning Worship

Christ Church Abingdon
Christmas Eve
* 3:00 pm – Christingle Service (Northcourt Road)
* 4:00 pm – Christingle Service (Long Furlong)
* 4:30 pm – Christingle Service (Northcourt Road)
* 11:00 pm – Midnight Communion (Northcourt Road)
Christmas Day
* 10:00 am – Christmas Family Worship (Long Furlong)
* 10:30 am – Christmas Family Worship (Northcourt Road)

Our Lady & St Edmund (Radley Road)
Christmas Eve
* 6:00 pm – First Mass of Christmas
* 8:30 pm – Christmas Vigil with Carols
* 9:00 pm – Christmas Mass
Christmas Day
* 8:00 am – Christmas Day Mass
* 9:30 am – Christmas Day Mass
* 11:30 am – Christmas Day Mass

Peachcroft Christian Centre (Peachcroft Shopping Centre)
Christmas Eve
* 3:00 pm – Christingle Service
* 5:00 pm – Christingle Service
Christmas Day
* 10:00 am – Christmas Day Celebration

St Helen’s Church (West St Helen Street)
Christmas Eve
* 4:00 pm – Christingle Service
* 11:00 pm – Midnight Mass
Christmas Day
* 8:00 am – Holy Communion
* 10:30 am – Family Service with Eucharist

St Michael & All Angels (Park Road)
Christmas Eve
* 3:00 pm – Crib Service
Christmas Day
* 9:30 am – Sung Mass

St Nicolas’ Church (Market Place)
Christmas Eve
* 4:00 pm – Crib Service
Christmas Day
* 10:00 am – Holy Communion with Carols

Trinity Church (Conduit Road)
Christmas Eve
* 4:00 pm – Christingle Service
Christmas Day
* 10:00 am – Morning Worship

All Saints’ Day was marked in churches today. At Our Lady & St Edmund of Abingdon Church, the celebration – normally on 1 November – was transferred to Sunday 2 November this year, with All Souls’ Day to be celebrated on Monday 3 November. All Saints’ honours the saints of every age, known and unknown.

Abingdon has a particular connection to Saint Edmund who was born here around 1175. His childhood home stood near West St Helen Street. His mother, Mabel, was remembered for her faith and her care for the poor. Her influence shaped Edmund’s life. He studied and later taught at Oxford, and in 1234 became Archbishop of Canterbury. He was respected for his learning, integrity, and efforts to bring peace.

His name lives on in Our Lady & St Edmund Church in Abingdon, St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School in Abingdon, and St Edmund Hall, the Oxford college.

In the church notice at Our Lady & St Edmund of Abingdon church, they recognised that Abingdon may have more than one or two saints: Today we honour in a special way the “little” saints – those who will never be officially canonised. Think for a moment of people you have known. What was it about them that impressed you? To be a saint is to be Christ-like …