The Women’s World Day of Prayer was began in America and Canada in the nineteenth century, and is now followed in over 170 countries, in over 1000 languages, all on the same day.

Each year the women of a different country prepare a theme,and in 2017 the service has been prepared by women of the Philippines. (2016 was Cuba, and 2018 will be Suriname.)

The Churches in Abingdon have been taking part for many years, and this year will join together at Abingdon Baptist Church for two versions of the service.

Everyone is welcome to attend either service.

Many Thanks to Colin, the Abingdon Taxi Driver, for this report. The pictures, by John Enticott, were taken in August 2008 after the church had been re-ordered.

One hundred and fifty years to the day that the church in Albert Park, Abingdon was consecrated by the Bishop of Oxford and dedicated to Saint Michael and All Angels, a Dedication Festival Mass was celebrated last Wednesday evening. It was part of a series of special events to commemorate the Sesquicentennial, running from Michaelmas 2016 to Michaelmas 2017.

Wednesday night’s service was preceded by a lively organ fanfare and an Introit, Locus Iste by Anton Bruckner, sung by the combined and robed choirs of Saint Nicolas and of Saint Michael’s churches, who sang throughout the Mass. Colin Fletcher, Bishop of Dorchester presided and preached. Father Paul Smith, the Vicar, had even penned the lyrics to one of the hymns.

Previous vicars, a Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire and other special guests attended the packed service. During the offertory hymn, a collection was taken for two charities supported by Saint Michael’s. The Abingdon Bridge works with vulnerable young people agreed 13-24 in the Abingdon area. Tariro – Hope for Youth in Zimbabwe, is a UK based charity, supporting young people in various cities in Zimbabwe.

Saint Michael’s is within what is referred to in the commemorative book published to mark the occasion, as the ‘high church’ tradition of the Church of England. This manifests itself amongst other things by the use of bells and incense to mark significant points of the service, although as the book says, it is “within certain limits”.

Originally built for those who had settled in Abingdon to work in the then expanding brewing and tanning industries, Saint Michael’s today contains “a vibrant community of faithful people.” Father Paul Smith said in the introduction to the service that “we give thanks for all that is past and look to the future with hope and faith.”

The church of St Michael and All Angels was consecrated on 25 January 1867 by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce and will be celebrating their 150th Anniversary on 25 January 2017 with a Sung Mass at 7.30 pm led by the Bishop of Dorchester. I look forward to getting a guest blog from Colin who is going to the event.

Another church in Abingdon celebrating an anniversary is the Vineyard Church. They do not meet in the Vineyard as the name would suggest. They have been meeting at Preston Road Community Centre for ten years now.

Ed asked me to mention the annual Alpha Launch event is on Wednesday. This year the launch is at the college to make a bigger and more accessible space. They have a free meal and an exciting speaker – who has been in the news recently. Details are at abingdonalpha.org/launch.htm (it’s FREE but they need to know how many are coming).  Information about the speaker is on the facebook event page. I am a bit late posting this so hope there are still places for anybody interested.

Alpha is a weekly course, about 8 weeks long, that gives an introduction to Christianity and is taken at various venues by various of the churches in Abingdon. Ed, from the Community Church, led a course at Rosie’s Cafe in previous years.