Crosstalk: Cogges Parish newsletter July-September 2006

Restoration of St Mary's

Restoration of St Mary's Cogges...

I'm sure many of you will have noticed the big green 'house' outside the lychgate of St Mary's and wondered, "is this the Vicar's new lodgings?" or "is this the kiosk where one must pay to enter the church?!" Actually, that sounds like quite a good idea!

Since I arrived here I've always had a sense that, spiritually, St Mary's, Cogges is a very special place, maybe because people have worshipped God here for over nine hundred years -- praying for the parish and supporting those in need.

You only have to sit in the churchyard for a few moments to recognise an extraordinary peace that tends to encompass you. In my mind's eye, there is a picture of our beautiful church, warm, welcoming and open -- a quiet place, a place of rest and a place where one can find God away from the busyness of daily life. I can also imagine it as a place where many different activities are going on during the week -- toddler services, concerts, worship activities for all ages, courses on marriage and family life. The list is endless.

One of the first tasks when I arrived here four years ago was to make the church water tight, which, due to the financial generosity of many people, we have achieved. The second project was to realise my vision of how a church ought to function for its community by creating more seating capacity in a way that would enhance this beautiful building and enable greater flexibility for the spiritual needs of a 21st century generation.

You can imagine the planning required to make major alterations to an ancient monument! The whole process has taken eighteen months, primarily due to our ambitious plans and the desire to be architecturally sympathetic to the building.

Phase one has involved the floor and heating system being replaced. The whole building will benefit from under floor heating provided by an ecological low CO2 emissions heat source. The heat will come from bore holes in the Priory Paddock and a ground source heat pump.

Lowering the floor level to accommodate the under-floor heating has been a fascinating project. Oxford Archaeological Unit have been on site periodically to inspect and record anything of archaeological interest. There have been no significant finds and the restoration project remains on target.

The 14th century Blake Chapel has been transformed by the removal of the Victorian organ, exposing the windows of the north wall and allowing the evening light to stream into this stunning place for the first time in at least one hundred and fifty years. The Chapel is indeed a beautiful space and I can envisage it being used for more meditative styles of worship and prayerful reflection.

Many of us in the church recognise the requirement for an organ to aid us in our worship, especially at weddings and funerals. I'm delighted that the first phase of the project will include the building of a bespoke electronic organ to be situated on the north wall of the nave.

The initial restoration will be completed in time for all our weddings in August and September. Of course this is only the first phase -- the next stage will involve the installation of a new sound and vision system and eventually new lighting to transform the building.

I am indebted to the congregation of St Mary's, who have committed words to action by pledging well over £100,000, enabling us to complete phase one.

I have always maintained that this is more than a building project -- it is in every sense of the word a restoration project. It is my hope and prayer that the worship of God will continue here for centuries to come and that many members of Cogges community will, as St Augustine said, "find their rest in God".

Andrew Sweeney

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