Subsite dedicated to Berins Garden, St Birinus Catholic Church.
The demesne in which St Birinus Catholic Church stands was given by the Davey family, a recusant family living at Overy just across the river Thame from Dorchester village. The land is divided into approximately three equal parts. The Presbytery and its adjoining garden on the bank of the Thame east of the church. The church is west-east aligned with, externally on the west wall a statue of St Birinus.
Embracing the church on its north, east and west aspects is a cemetery. The Davey family rest here. It is surely one of the nicest places for an English Catholic to lie in awaiting the resurrection. Under the east window is an area for the burial of cremated remains.
To the noth of the graveyard is an area of field which is used as a car park at busy Masses as it has its own carriage entrance from Bridge End.
A group of parishioners under the direction of Linda Francis is engaged in managing this land in an ecologically friendly manner. Boxes have been place in trees to encourage birds to nest and planting is in progress to encourage butterflies and animals. Berin is the early english spelling of the latin Birinus.
Three pages, recently received, can be found under the heading of St Birinus Garden on the Document page of this website. CB 16/5/2007.
Above and alongside is a photographic reproduction of both sides of an update on the Berin's Garden project which was distributed at Mass on Palm Sunday 2008. If an electronic download is available it will appear under "Documents" on the home page of this site. Readers requiring clarification of any point are advised to look at the documents relating to Berin's Garden Project which can be accessed through "Documents" on the Home Page of this site
