On June 28th 2009 your webmaster was moved to come to St Birinus Catholic Church at 9.30 am and take photographs . The church has, for several years, been in a staged restoration. Work being done only when the parish could afford it. One could see this restoration as being very necessary to restore a building which came into use more than 150 yrs ago and also enabled the completion of the decoration of the church which was started in the 19th century when architect Wardell was commissioned to buld a Catholic parish church on land given by the Davey family of Overy in about 1839.
During Vigil Mass on June 27th, your webmaster was moved to record the changes made at St Birinus Catholic Church Dorchester Oxfordshire during the refurbishment which can be regarded as the completion of the the construction of a Catholic Church, one of the first built since Tudor times.
St Birinus Church was built at the time of The Restoration of the Hierarchy. Catholicism had flourished, largely in secret, at Overy near Dorchester Oxfordshire since the destruction of the Abbey at Dorchester during the reign of King Henry VIII. The Davey family at Overy were a recusant Catholic family who maintained a Catholic Household over the centuries between the Protestant reformation and the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy.
On parking his car in Bridgend your webmaster came across this board which maps and describes Dorchester village.
This board is a Village Council initiative and has little to do with the Catholic community.
One of the necessary repairs at St Birinus Catholic Church was to rebuild a part of the wall to the parish demesne which had fallen down.
This view, from Bridgend, shows the section of the wall which was, at great expense, rebuilt using materials and methods, from the mid 19th century.
From within St Birinus demesne one can see that the reconstructed wall has an internal, butressed brick built and capped structure the exterior wall being Oxfordshire Clunch or limestone.
This interior view shows the gilded Rood Screen and the lime washed walls and the heraldic blazons which have been attached to the beam ends of the 19th century Hammer Beam roof.
Beyond the Rood Screen is the Sanctuary with it's original Altar.
The altar at St Birinus Church is built against the East wall of the church and has remained there notwithstanding the trend to move altars forward to allow the celebration of the Mass with the celebrating priest facing the congregation.
Beyond the Altar in the East wall is the East Window.
Three images most easily recognised are Christ in Majesty a crucifixion and a nativity.
Also in the East Window is a small window which illustrates the Mystery of the Holy Trinity.
CB - 8th June 2009
The Rood Screen is part of the Neo Gothic design of St Birinus church. It provides a division between Nave and Chancel and forms a Communion rail for the distribution of the Holy Sacrament. The screen is pierced by larger and smaller apertures.
Your webmaster is fascinated by the views of the East window that can be obtained through the smaller apertures.
Above is a view if the head of Christ seated in Majesty seen through one of the Quatrefoil perforations of the upper part of the rood screen.
CB - 14-7-2009
Adjacent to the Rood Screen is a crocketed niche displayinging a statue of St Birinus.
Adjacent to St Birinus niche which is supported by a stone corbel is the refurbished confessional and an example of some of thebrass commemorative plaques which occupy the walls.
Many record the lives and generosity of the Davey family and the first incumbent Fr Newsham. The plaque shown above is a memorial to the Catholic soldiers of the Parish who gave their lives in the Great War of 1914-18.
Prior to the Reformation the Canons of Dorchester maintained two public shrines in the Abbey church.
The shrine of Our Lady of Dorchester and a shrine containing the remains of St Birinus.
Both were destroyed at the Reformation The remains of St Birinus (your webmaster prefers the word used in France, restes) are now in Winchester Cathedral possibly together with the remains of other saints who's bones survived the Reformation.
The shrine of Our Lady of Dorchester is now sited in St Birinus Catholic Church.
In the photograph above the shrine and a Bellord (Davey Grand-Daughter) memorial plaque is shown and two of the Victorian painted Sations of the Cross. Also shown is a window depicting St Christopher and St Thomas from designs by William Morris.
