Hundred’s Celebrate New Parish
Around 300 members of St. Matthew’s, St. Oswald’s and Overslade Churches converged on St. Oswald’s on Sunday 6 January 2008 to celebrate the uniting of the parishes of St. Matthew’s and St. Oswald’s in Rugby.
Starting with worship in each building, members walked or used one of the coaches provided, to get to St. Oswald’s Church in Lawford Road. Hot chocolate was served to people as they arrived. There was a service outside St. Oswald’s with a worship band and an act of commitment. Members wrote prayers on wooden crosses which were then pushed into the ground.
After the service everyone shared in a pig roast.
“It was great fun to mark this special occasion in this way” said Martin Saxby, Vicar of the new parish. “We are looking forward to working together to serve the local community and to show that worshipping Jesus can be fun”.
Two identical banners were made to mark the occasion and were carried from St. Matthew’s in Warwick Street to St. Oswald’s. One will now be kept in each of the churches.
Three coaches were used to transport church members unable to walk and a pig roast fed over 250 in half an hour. Martin Saxby had been Vicar of St. Matthew’s parish for 17 years prior to the uniting of the two parishes. Graham Hardwick retired as Vicar of St. Oswald’s on 31 December 2007. Graham was present at the service and formally handed over the keys to Martin.
Martin will be instituted as Vicar of the new parish at 7.30pm on Thursday 17 January in St. Oswald’s Church, Lawford Road by the Bishop of Warwick and the Archdeacon of Coventry.
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