Celebrating the Benefice – The Benefice of Garsington, Cuddesdon and Horspath

On Sunday the 3rd September we celebrated our life together by holding services in each of the three churches and walking between them The day began at the Horspath Hub, the old Methodist Chapel, where we processed the old wooden cross that hung in the Chapel to the parish church of St Giles’. We were very fortunate to have Daphne and Sandra Teagle, relatives of Berite Teagle who made the cross, to carry it for us to the church. The cross had hung in the Chapel since the 1970’s and was dedicated to the memory of Percy Long, Nesta’s father and it was great to also have Nesta with us. We are delighted that the cross now finds a home in St Giles’ where it will hang as a witness to the heritage of the village and our shared faith.

The main Sunday morning service was held in St Giles’ where the cross was also received and blessed. If you would like to read Emma’s sermon then please go to the sermon page. After some welcome chocolate biscuits a group of us headed up Gidley Way, now in the rain to pick up the bridle way to Cuddesdon. Eileen and Robin Frazer, Emma, Jonathan, Katie and Thomas and Tina all arrived at All Saints’ and were closely followed by Anna Radcliffe and Sheila Frankum. We had a simple picnic lunch and then with Mary Palmer and John Paxton from the Cuddesdon congregation and along with John Hall, we said Daily Prayer in the newly restored Chancel of Cuddesdon church.

The final stretch of the day took us across the fields to Garsington and tea and cake in St Mary’s. The tea was very welcome and the cake even more so. We were joined by Shirley Royal and Roger Ovendon along with another couple and our organist John Buckley who played for our Evening Prayer service. It had been a wonderful day and were all returned home nicely tired but also energised by our walking, talking, eating and prayer.