St Swithun Wells Church

The Catholic Church of St Swithun Wells in Fair Oak, Hampshire, UK

If only these walls could talk

A lot has happened over the last 40 years (This was written in 2019)

We all have 1001 memories of this place

Memories

o Altar here, but raised up on a dais

o Altar at the other end

o Altar at the side and church “in the round”

o Badminton marks on the floor

o Social events, dinner-dance, quizzes, even the “odd” scripture talk……..

o Fellowship

o Significant birthdays, anniversaries, retirement do’s

o People – those of us here, children who grew up in the community and left home, people who have moved elsewhere, those who have died

o Events depicted in the photo display (See below)

o The nursery that was right here (used to be on the current sanctuary site!)

o BBQ’s outside

o The land that was to be a new school when this church became a parish (Now a large new housing estate)

o The Youth Centre on that land (Now re-sited to the Fair oak Road)

o The convent and the sisters

o Their house next door to the pub (The Clock)

If the church is simply a building then it does not live! We call ourselves the “people of God” and the “body of Christ” each one of us playing our own part in the community.

Place is important but, without people, ii is only a shell.

Whether it is the grandest of cathedrals or a couple of oil drums in some strange field.

The building only exists for this community to gather in the presence of God to “do this in remembrance of me”

Christ’s visible presence in Fair Oak alongside our other Christian communities – at least one vicar has worshipped with us at Saturday mass over the years.

When the new houses are built this building and its community will surely be a significant part of the new estate rather than a church just tucked down Allington Lane!