St Michael and All Angels' Church, Park Road, Abingdon

Photographs of the interior
[after re-ordering] [before the re-ordering!]

Team Vicar:
The Revd Paul Smith
Tel: 01235 534654

News

SILENT REFLECTIONS AT ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS on the final Tuesday of every month, beginning on 31 January. Enjoy prayerful activities in the quiet of the sanctuary with the option of coming together to share your journey at the end of the session.

We have commissioned a range of labyrinth jewellery from local silversmith John Huddleston. John's web site has pictures of the range and ordering instructions. Would make an ideal present!

Times of Main Services

TIMES OF MASS:
Sundays:	9.30 am Sung Mass. 9.30 am Family Mass (first Sunday of the month). (There is an 8 am Mass at either St Helen's or St Nicolas' each Sunday. See the Calendar for details.)
Wednesdays	10.30 am at St Helen's.
Thursdays	12.30 pm [N.B. new time from 28 April 2011] followed by a light lunch.
SUNDAY SCHOOL:
Sundays	9.30 am on Sundays
EVENING PRAYER:
Sundays	4.30 pm

Introduction

St Michael and All Angels' Church is a Church of England church located in the west of the town, adjacent to Albert Park. The Church of England churches in Abingdon are organized into a Team Ministry, to which St Michael's church brings a distinctive Anglo-Catholic tradition. Almost all the Christian churches in the town are members of a Local Ecumenical Project, called The Church in Abingdon. The Local Ecumenical Project recognizes a spirit of co-operation and ecumenism that has existed in Abingdon for many years; Christians of all denominations unite to work together whenever common action is possible and to share in and be enriched by each other's traditions of prayer and worship. St Michael's Church has very strong links with our neighbours at Trinity Church. Within the Anglican Parish our Team Vicar is also Team Vicar of St Nicolas' Church and we have strong links with St Helen's Church. Together St Helen's, St Michael's and St Nicolas' constitute the centre group of churches in the parish.

Brief History

The church was designed by the architect Sir G.G. Scott, and built in the period 1864-1867. It was consecrated on 25th January 1867. The interior was redecorated in January 1999. Pevsner in his famous books The Buildings of England describes St Michael's as 'a quiet, dignified design'; a phrase that might also be applied to our main act of worship, the Sung Mass at 9.30 am each Sunday.

Tradition and Worship

The tradition at St Michael's is Anglo-Catholic, with an emphasis on community, corporate worship, meeting God in the sacraments, in the scriptures and in one another, and above all seeking to teach and live the Gospel through our own lives in the situations in which we find ourselves.

The main Sunday service is a Sung Mass at 9.30 am. and Evening Prayer at 4.00 pm. The sermon is an important element of the Sung Mass. On the first Sunday of the month the 9.30 am service is a Family Mass in which the congregation follow as the action of the Mass progresses from the font to the high altar.

During the week we have a Said Mass on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For times, see the Calendar. There is a Said Mass at St Helen's Church on Wednesday.

On Festivals and other Holy Days we usually have a Sung Mass at 7.30 pm. See the Calendar for precise details. During Holy Week and Easter we celebrate the traditional liturgies for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Day. The centre group of churches combine for the major act of worship on Trinity Sunday.

Evening Prayer on Sunday evening is said in church. We use a very quiet, simple form of service, lay led, taken from Celebrating Common Prayer, an office book developed initially by the Anglican Franciscans, and now widely used in parish churches and by individual Christians. The structure is very simple: opening prayers, psalms, reading, hymn, intercessions followed by a closing prayer. The quiet, meditative, style of this service provides an excellent way to round off one busy week and prepare for the next.

There are periodic quiet days and an annual pilgrimage to Walsingham.

The church has disabled access; large print service books are available and a hearing aid loop is installed.

For Young People

Young people and families with young children are important members of our congregation; they are in a real sense the messengers of our tradition.

Baptisms take place on Sundays, usually in the afternoon, but at other times by arrangement. We try hard to maintain contact with families after their children have been baptized. Our Carol Service on Christmas Eve is a wonderful magnet drawing families together to begin the celebration of Christmas.

For children of all ages, the Sunday School meets during the first part of the Sung Mass on Sunday mornings.

Other activities for young people are tailored to the needs and age ranges in the congregation at any time.

Church Activities

St. Michael's Fellowship meets periodically. All members of the congregation and their friends are invited to meetings. The format is normally a talk followed by refreshments and discussion. Talks cover a very broad range of topics. Talks are frequently illustrated with slides and videos. The Fellowship is an important way in which a sense of community is nurtured, through sharing of background, interests and experiences of life.

Coffee and tea are served in the Church Room after the main Sunday service. This is an important social meeting point for the congregation. Refreshments are served after evening Mass on major festivals. We have an annual pre-Christmas lunch at a local restaurant, which is well-supported and family and friends are particularly welcome to come along.

The Church Room is used by various groups and enquiries about availability are welcomed.

Music

Music is important at St Michael's. We have a small but committed choir, which combines with that of St Nicolas' for occasional services. We appreciate the services of very able organists.

Church Twinning

Through The Church in Abingdon we are slowly building links with churches in Abingdon's Twin Towns.

Mission

St Michael's is a popular venue being located next to Albert Park with easy access. We have an important ministry through baptisms, weddings and funerals.

St Michael's supports the work of Dr Francesca Elloway, a doctor working in Africa for the Church Mission Society.

At Harvest Festival, we support the homeless through the Steppin' Stone Centre in Oxford.