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St Francis, Byworth celebrates its Diamond Anniversary
On Sunday 25th June St Francis’ Church, Byworth, just off Crondall Lane on the northern edge of Farnham, celebrated 60 years since its consecration by the then Bishop of Guildford on 14th May 1957. St Francis is a daughter church of St Andrew’s, parish church of Farnham, and was built thanks to the generosity of Mrs Jackson, Farnham’s first woman magistrate. It replaced an earlier mission church, the ‘Tin Mission’, at Dippenhall.
The anniversary service took St Francis of Assisi as its theme; it was led by Andrew Partridge, a Lay Minister in Farnham parish, and was assisted by the ‘Junior Voices’ choir run by Liz Lee, who sang ‘What a Wonderful World’ to reflect St Francis’ love of the natural world, and ‘Kum ba yah’ to reflect his holiness. Also present were Angus Cleaver who had led services at St Francis for many years in the 1990s, Eileen Stone whose late husband Dennis ran the Sunday School in the 1960s, and Stella Barter who assisted in the same period. The service was followed by a reception in the adjacent church hall, and then by a picnic and swimming for the children and braver adults at the nearby home of parishioners Matthew and Joanna Elliott.
David Uffindell, Rector of Farnham, away at his son-in-law’s ordination on the day, afterwards commented "I am delighted to hear of the excellent anniversary party at St Francis's Church. We are honouring the past, celebrating the present and planning for the future in ministry and mission in this part of the town. I am very grateful to all those who helped to make this such a great day".
This fine church, parts of which date from the 12th Century, stands at the centre of a handsome town whose Georgian heritage, as well as its distinctive and individual character, makes it an attractive place to live, work and visit. The church is a significant landmark on the Pilgrim’s Way – the ancient route from Winchester to Canterbury. We serve a growing and changing town, whose many businesses employ significant numbers of people. Farnham is home to many long-standing residents, students and staff from the University of the Creative Arts, as well as people who have come to live here more recently and who commute to work in London (just an hour away by train).
We serve everyone who lives and works in our parish in central Farnham. We are conscious of the Church of England’s unique calling to be a place of welcome to all – irrespective of their faith convictions. Many people worship here on Sundays and during week, where the Eucharist is at the centre of our life. Many others value the church as a place of silence and reflection during the day, where they can bring their needs, longings and hopes to God; where candles can be lit, or the simple spaciousness of the building can be enjoyed. We are glad to host many musical and artistic events, too, and are keen to encourage use of the church by the wider community.
Elsewhere on this website you can pick up a flavour of our life and worship, as well as the many ways in which we strive to serve the people of Farnham. I hope your ‘virtual’ visit will inspire you to come and discover the church, as well as the Christian community which cares for it.
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