Welcome to Fr.Lungley . . . . .
Father John Oakes is short of material for this magazine, so rather unwisely he has asked me to write a few words to introduce myself.
I was a war baby, born in South London and brought up in Croydon. My atheist parents sent me to the local Roman Catholic primary school, on account of its academic success. Little did they know the influence it was to have! The same parents decided I was a shy youth and should attend the local Church Youth Club. To belong you had to go to church. Soon Youth Club was abandoned, but The Lord and His Church became central to my life.
In 1960 I scraped into S. Peter’s College, Oxford, to read Chemistry, delighted to find myself at geographical centre of the Oxford Movement which had recalled the C of E to its glorious Catholic heritage. I spent six years in Oxford, moving on to S. Stephen’s House to train for the priesthood. Father Bernard Maddox came to “Staggers one half term to look for a curate and found me. So it happened I was ordained into Lichfield diocese to serve my title at S. Werburgh’s, Burslem in the Potteries. Then on to Holy Cross, Bilbrook, in the Parish of Codsall and after that S. Mark’s, Ocker Hill, as Parish Priest. There I met Janet my wife, whom many of you know. We married in 1974, producing our one and only Marcus in 1979. For my sins I was Rural Dean of Wednesbury till I left S. Mark’s for Kingswinford in 1988.
My incumbency at S. Mary’s, Kingswinford witnessed General Synod’s decision to endorse the provisional ordination of women priests and the fearful ecumenical damage that has caused. Meanwhile the Kingswinford Deanery was forcibly transferred from Lichfield to Worcester diocese. The Bishop of Worcester’s wife was a formidable advocate of women’s ordination, so I was amazed to be made an honorary canon in 1993. (Perhaps because Bishop Philip Goodrich had been suitably impressed when he came to preside at the Good Friday Liturgy earlier that year).
The parish like many others was deprived of its curate following 1992 and the energetic retired priest, Father Charles Elliott, was called to his rest. I was now in my sixties and becoming tired. So retirement became the sensible option. We have moved to Wombourne and are conveniently placed to help out in local parishes of our integrity, not least S. Martin’s and S. Stephen’s, where we have been made so welcome.
Father John Lungley.
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1908 ~ St.Stephen’s ~ 2008Fr Percy Bourne
Early in 1948, Fr.Hassall accepted the Incumbency of St.Faith’s, Great Crosby, and was succeeded by Fr. Percy Bourne. What became known as the “Chancel Scheme” originated during this year — a £1200 project involving the installation of light-oak choir stalls and communion rails. Cost dictated that the project should be carried out in stages. The communion rail in 1953, the solid silver Altar Cross in 1954, the Clergy stalls in 1955 and the choir stalls in 1956. Further stained glass windows were added. In 1950 the wrought iron chancel screen, donated anonymously, was fitted at the entrance of the Lady Chapel. (This screen was moved in Fr.Paul River’s time as an entrance to the Sacristy and Choir Vestry.) The Stations of the Cross were installed in 1952.
1952 merits special attention: not only was it the year when land was purchased for the site of the church hail, and the year when that forerunner of Christian Stewardship — the God’s Portion Scheme — began on the first Sunday of January (with 98 envelope subscribers giving about £6 each week between them), but also it was the year of the Summer Fete on Butlers’ sports fields, in Springfield Road. For an admission fee of one shilling, the public could watch international racing cycles compete around the cricket field, whilst, on the football field, stalls and sideshows, together with a displays by St.Stephen’s youth club, Brownies and Guides helped to raise £272.16.0d. towards the building of the church hall.
St.Barnabas
In 1955, with the closing down of St.James’ Church, the united benefice of St.Stephen was formed, the St. Barnabas section of the former parish of
St.James being added to the parish of St.Stephen’s.
Later in 1958 the East window from St.James’ was installed at the West
end of St.Stephen’s.
School
In 1956 the day school managers, unable to meet the financial demands involved in maintaining the school’s Aided status, were compelled to make application for Controlled status. Already plans were in hand for a new building.
Fr Francis Seaborn
On December 18th 1958 Fr Bourne retired, but the induction of his successor, Fr Francis Vincent Seaborn did not take place until 4th September 1959. In the same month Charles Harrison became St.Stephen’s honorary treasurer, undertaking responsibilities which had previously been borne by St.Stephen’s clergy or churchwardens, responsibilities which he fulfilled faithfully for the next eighteen and a half years.
Demolition & rebuilding
By 1960, the parish was changing in its physical appearance. Streets of terraced houses in which, for a century, St.Stephen’s congregation had lived in close proximity to their place of worship now disappeared. The Spring Valley Estate flats on the Cannock Road brought a touch of the twentieth-century into the Victorian parish, and schemes for the building of flats on the Wednesfield Road entered the early stages of their implementation. In the following year, with most of the new flats now occupied groups of volunteers from St.Stephen’s visited the new residents. Christian Stewardship had been introduced at the Church on Sunday 12th February, and later in the year, our own new building project was commenced - the long awaited church hall, the construction of which was entrusted to Messrs Bailey & Smith. On August 27th, 1962, Mr Eric Butler presided at the official opening of our Percy Bourne Memorial Hall.
Good Neighbours scheme
In the same year, as a result of a dialogue-sermon held in church one Sunday the Good Neighbours scheme was inaugurated; soon, 72 old people were being visited regularly by volunteers from the congregation. A natural by-product of the scheme was the Wednesday afternoon club, which opened later on 1962 and which met weekly in the new church hall. Meetings of a new Cub Pack started in 1964 by our organist/choirmaster (Mr Williams Stevens-Ingley) and his wife Mary. December 27th of that year was Fr.Seaborn’s final Sunday at St.Stephen’s, prior for his departure to Longton.
To be continued . . .
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