St Stephen's - 40th Anniversary Vespers

St Stephen's closed its 40th anniversary celebrations with Sung Vespers in the church on Sunday evening, May 3.
Over seventy people attended the event, at which Canon Paul presided, and we Stephenites were delighted to be joined at the service by our invited guests from our sister Anglican parish of St Luke's and St Mark's. Their contingent was led by the Rev Mike Gardner, the Vicar, with his wife and son. We also had visitors from elsewhere in our parish, Peter Bogan, former Headmaster of the parish school, and his wife Margaret prominent among them.
Our church looked first class; it really is a worship space to be proud of. Sunday was a sunny evening and light streamed through the windows into the sanctuary which was decorated with beautiful floral displays by Liz Tipple and her team of flower arrangers.
We had the benefit of the McElroy family and Arthur Hickson as our musicians. They supported Kate Smith, and together we sang hymns, psalms and the Vespers canticle. Incense was burned in the sanctuary at the start of the service - a rare event at St Stephen's - and again while we sang the Magnificat.
Early in the service the whole congregation went in procession and blessed themselves from the new font as a sign of our common baptism, Anglican and Catholic. The font, with its accompanying altar and president's chair, have come to us with the closing of St Thomas More's in Stoney Lane and they enhance the look of the church greatly. They must also be a poignant reminder of days past to those of our congregation who used to attend St Thomas More's.
In his address, Canon Paul welcomed our visitors and congratulated the Stephenites on their fidelity in witnessing to the faith in Oliver's Battery for 40 years. He also thanked us for our creative (!) liturgies and remarked in passing on our tendency not always to do precisely what the parish priest expected. He challenged us to continue our witness, in common where possible with our Anglican brothers and sisters, in the decades to come.
The celebration closed with the cutting of splendid anniversary cakes, baked and decorated by Liz Tipple. The two cake cutters were Gill Heneghan (who had been present at the opening of the church in 1969), and Christel McCartney.

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