It has witnessed our baptisms, sheltered us in sorrow, confirmed the young, celebrated committed love, and prayed over the remains of those who have gone to the Lord. It has expressed the dream, the vision, the reaching out towards God, of the people of this parish and their visitors over the generations.

Why build a church? After all Jesus said it was “in spirit and in truth” that the Father is worshipped and not in temples of stone. But in every place a community needs somewhere they can call their own, somewhere to meet in prayer, especially that prayer we offer together. There are times when we need the support of a believing, worshipping community. We need to come together and for that we need a place.

It is the Lord who invites and welcomes us to this house of prayer and worship, invites us to pause… to acknowledge his presence in the silence of our hearts, to admire the beauty and workmanship here, to seek inspiration in this place, to find here peace and refreshment for life’s journey, to be able to look forward with confidence to the challenges of that journey.

As we approach the bicentenary of our church as a place of worship, not only do we look back, we also look forward. We are thankful to those who have gone before us, for their dreams and for what they have established and we hope to be true to their vision. We are the authors of a new chapter in the history of our church. May our contribution be as unique and as significant as that of our predecessors.

You can find out more about the history and restoration of Holy Trinity Abbey here