Five memorial stones were laid 150 years ago to mark the foundation of Trinity Church, Abingdon, and today there was a special service to celebrate.

Pictures of some of the previous ministers, and laymen, were displayed at the back of the church.

Rev. Ian Griffiths, the current Minister, led the service.

Rev. Richard Bittleston, the previous minister, played the organ.

Rev. Colin Thompson, another previous minister, wrote one of the hymns used during the service.

Ministers generally only stay for five or ten years at Trinity. Rev. Ian will have been at Trinity for ten years and will move on to pastures new next year. It was announced that he will be succeeded by Rev. Georgina, who will be the next minister at Trinity and All Saints in Abingdon.

A modern statue of St Edmund of Abingdon can be seen in the grounds of St Edmund Hall in Oxford. The statue depicts the saint sitting on a bench, with a book in his hand. St Edmund was a man of learning and humility. He was born in Abingdon in about 1175, and he studied in Oxford before becoming a respected lecturer and eventually Archbishop of Canterbury.

If you want to learn more about St Edmund of Abingdon, you could try the blog of A Clerk of Oxford: https://aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2017/11/st-edmund-and-abingdon.html .

To see the statue yourself, visit St Edmund Hall, Queen’s Lane (OX1 4AR), open daily 10:00-16:00 for free.

Pentecost and Whitsuntide are two different terms that refer to the same Christian observance. Both terms have their origins in the celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the New Testament of the Bible (Book of Acts, Chapter 2: 1-4). There was a strong wind, then tongues of fire, then disciples started speaking in different languages, and went out preaching. Pentecost is now considered the birthday of the church.

The phrase ‘Come Holy Spirit’ can be seen outside and inside St Edmund’s Church. It is a simple prayer, by the church, to be energised in a similar way to the early church at Pentecost.

Today was Easter Sunday, a day when Christian churches celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. At Trinity Church in Abingdon, there was a model of the empty tomb – created for Experience Easter, an event staged by Trinity Learning and visited by lots of schools before Easter.

Easter is a movable feast, celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Spring Equinox.

For Trinity, the Easter Sunday service was celebrated at Trinity Church, but the congregation has moved about during the last few days of Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday – 7:00 pm – Abingdon Baptist Church

Good Friday – 10:00am at Trinity Church
12 noon – Church in Abingdon United Service in the Market Place

Holy Saturday – 8:00 pm – St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Abingdon

It doesn’t stop there. On Sunday, 23rd April, the Trinity congregation are joining All Saints Methodist Church in Abingdon.