St Wulstan's Church History
St Wulstan's Church
St. Wulstan (1008 - 1095)
Wulstan was a native of Long Itchington in Warwickshire. He studied in
the monasteries at Evesham and Peterborough. Brihtheah, Bishop of Worcester,
guided his preparation for the priesthood.
St Wulstan, having been distracted while celebrating Mass by the smell of meat roasting in the kitchen, vowed never to eat it again. He became a novice in the Benedictine Monastery of Worcester where he was noted for his innocence and sanctity. His first work was that of instructing children and he then became precentor and the church treasurer. He continued to devote himself to prayer and spent whole nights in the church.
Despite his strenuous resistance, he was made prior of Worcester and in 1062, Bishop of that diocese. Though not very learned, he delivered the Word of God so impressively and with such emotion as to move some of his audience to tears. He was closely involved in the suppression of a trade by which men were kidnapped into slavery and shipped from Bristol to Ireland. He always recited the psalter while he travelled and never passed a church or chapel without going in to pray before the altar.
In 1066 William the Conqueror became king of England and appointed Norman bishops to most English bishoprics. But he came to recognise Wulstan's qualities and treated him with respect and trust. Even the Norman Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc, commissioned him to make the visitation of the diocese of Chester as his deputy. When the English complained of the oppression of Norman rules, Wulstan told them it was a scourge of God for sin and must be borne with patience. Young gentlemen brought up under his care were taught to carry in dishes and to wait at table to teach them the true spirit of humility
Wycombe was, at that time, in the diocese of Lincoln, but Sweartling, the man responsible for the building of All Saints' Church, wanted Bishop Wulstan to consecrate it because of his reputation for holiness. The Bishop of Lincoln readily granted this permission. St. Wulstan not only consecrated the Church of All Saints but also administered confirmation and cured a maidservant suffering from a serious mental disturbance. He sprinkled her with the water used to bless the church and she recovered immediately. There is still a statue in the church of All Saints in High Wycombe to this day.
On a previous visit to Wycombe Wulstan had stayed in an old inn which began to creak and groan as he was preparing for his morning departure. The terrified servants rushed outside and shouted to the Bishop to save himself.
He rebuked them for their lukewarm faith and refused to leave until his baggage had been loaded on to the packhorses. As soon as he had left the inn, the entire building collapsed. William of Malmesbury, the famous chronicler who tells us this delightful story, says that the building delayed its own collapse because of Wulstan's holiness.
Bishop Wulstan rebuilt his own Cathedral at Worcester in 1086 but he loved the old building, which had had to be demolished. "The men of old" he said, "if they did not have stately buildings, were themselves a sacrifice to God, whereas we pile up stones and neglect souls.
He died on 19th January 1095and he was canonised in 1203 and his feast is celebrated on the 19th of January.
St Wulstan
Born: 1008 at Icentum, Warwickshire, England
Died: 1095
Canonized: 14 May 1203 by Pope Innocent III
About the St Wulstans Church
For many years Catholics who lived in and around Totteridge and Terriers had travelled, mainly on foot, to St. Augustine's Church, near the station. By the 1960s, however, a Mass centre had become a necessity and permission was obtained to celebrate Sunday Mass in the Social Club in Totteridge Drive.
St. Augustine's clergy served the centre and a close-knit community developed, made up of local families who walked to Mass. An annual fete was held in the adjoining field and the community spirit blossomed.
When the first church was being built in 1969, parishioners were invited to suggest a suitable saint's name for the church. Fr. Griffiths, then parish priest at St. Augustine's, favoured St. Wulstan as this saint had visited High Wycombe in the eleventh century to consecrate All Saints' Church in the town. At a vote St. Wulstan won the day in spite of considerable support for St. Martin.
The first St. Wulstan's Church, consecrated by Bishop Charles Grant on 30th April 1970, was designed in the interests of economy. A factory framework was given a block-work skin left unplastered, a concrete slab floor, industrial roof lighting and a ceiling of natural boarding. Sacristies at the south end were beneath the parish room, which doubled as a "crying" room. Total cost of building and furnishings was around £33,000. The first electricity bill was £90, a lot of money in those days. The parish continued to be served by clergy from St. Augustine's until 1978 when the presbytery was completed.
Fr. Bosco Clarke moved in from St. Augustine's to become the first resident priest. Monsignor John Ryan succeeded him in 1984 and was followed by Fr. John Bierne in 1989. Fr. Stephen McGuinness came in 1996 and Fr Stanislaw Maciuszek arrived in January 2006. Our current priest Father Innocent Abonyi MSP arrived in September 2009.
By the late 1980's serious cracks had appeared in the walls of the church and it was essential to shore them up with scaffolding both inside and out. Although many parishioners wished to keep the original church, it was decided to build a new one to accommodate one hundred and fifty people.
This was linked to the existing presbytery and so positioned that a portion of the site could be sold. This area now houses a medical practice with car park.
On Sunday, 20th January 1991, the final Masses in the old church were celebrated and in the afternoon a party was held, attended by Bishop Leo and many clergy and people. The scaffolding was decorated with balloons and coloured lights. Refreshments were provided in abundance and there were competitions and raffles.
During the rebuilding, Sunday Masses were celebrated in Kingswood Middle School and week-day Masses in a beautiful chapel in St. Andrew's Church, Hatters' Lane at 8.00 a.m. Father John, meanwhile, lived in a caravan on the site.
The new building was designed in shape and materials to blend in with the local environment, and it was to be light and airy. The original stained glass window, designed by Mr. Izamis, was relocated in the baptistery of the new church. St. Wulstan's statue, by Michael Mahoney, which used to be on the outside of the old building, was refurbished and prominently placed in the nave of the new church. The original wooden bench seating was adapted for re-use and, to reflect the importance of the furniture industry in this area, wood was chosen as the material for the altar, lectern, credence table and chairs, as well as for the furniture in the narthex. The original Stations of the Cross were repainted.
On November 9th, 1991 the parish community of St. Wulstan's returned from exile for the blessing and dedication of the new church. As Bishop Leo reached the sanctuary, carpeted in warm rose pink, the dimmed lights were turned up and the church was drenched in colour and light. The Bucks Free Press reporter wrote, "The feeling is of simplicity without starkness, tradition without fuss and most of all, a real warmth of atmosphere." On that opening night two hundred and fifty people were accommodated without discomfort. Some local residents who had initially campaigned against planning permission for a new church, were united in their admiration for the attractive building which blends into and complements the local landscape.
This lovely church will serve the local Catholic community for many years to come.
Pat Taylor
January 1998
We are indebted to Mrs. Archer for the information about the Mass centre and the first St. Wulstan's.