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Hillside Parish Magazine

August 2010

From the Vicar – August 2010

There will be celebrations in Felixkirk in early September as we commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the restoration of the church. This major project became necessary because the existing building was in a very bad state of repair and was almost unusable. The architect, William Hey Dykes, was prominent at that time for his work in building and restoring churches in Yorkshire and the present, very beautiful, church with its unusual rounded apse owes much to Dykes' genius. The then vicar, Canon Johnstone, younger son of Lord Derwent, and his curate, Revd. W.A. Norris, raised the £1,600 needed to pay for the restoration.

Of course this was the restoration of an existing building. Parts of the present church date from the 1100s and there is a strong connection with the Knights Hospitaller of St.John of Jerusalem who had been given extensive land in the area which was managed from their great house at Mount St.John. When the Order was thrown out of England in 1540 the land was given to the Archbishops of York. Also there may have been an even earlier church on the site, although no trace of this remains today.

This brief history (please see Anniversary notice, in this issue, and you can learn more if you visit the church on Saturday 4th September) reminds us of the ways in which the church has had to respond to changing circumstances over the centuries. It has reordered its buildings and renewed its life again and again in order to be faithful to its calling to proclaim the Gospel and to offer support and care to any who need it. As we celebrate with the parish of Felixkirk with Boltby we give thanks for all those who have lived out their faith in this place over many hundreds of years. Those who have supported the church as worshippers and benefactors and who have passed on this beautiful building which is in such a good state of repair, who have handed on to us the living faith of the church.

And we also reflect on the church in our own time. What is there in our faith and in our church buildings which is timeless and should be preserved? And what is there which is “of its time”, which might be holding us back as we try to share our faith in God in the present age and pass it on to the next generations. (These questions are also part of the background to the recent debate about “women bishops” and they may help as you make up your own mind on this issue which the church is finding so difficult.) For the last 2000 years the church has been discovering new things and it has renewed and refounded itself in every age, in many different ways.

This helps us to be more aware of the ways in which change and growth are taking place continuously in our own lives. These things are part of God’s mysterious plan and we can either embrace them as opportunities and blessings. Or try to resist them, although there is no chance of success and the effort will become a burden and a great trial to us in due course.

The challenge is to continue to build creatively on what we have received, looking to the future and trusting in the goodness of God. The motto of the Hospitallers, who were associated for so long with Felixkirk, was “For the faith and in the service of humanity”. May those words continue to inspire us today.

With my prayers

Ian Houghton

150th Anniversary of the Victorian Restoration at St Felix.

Celebratory Weekend Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th of September

In July 1858, the then vicar Rev. Canon Johnstone and his curate Rev. W A Norris and some influential local residents started work to recover the church from its dilapidated state. Using the young architect, William Hey Dykes, the church was extensively rebuilt to give the church we know today. The sanctuary was made apsidal using the ancient foundations, that were revealed when the square east end of 1300 was pulled down. Careful use of the original stonework in the two chancel arches has helped to retain the Anglo-Norman appearance of the original building, which is dated to about 1125. The rebuild took 13 months and cost £1600, of which, all but £200 was raised before the re-opening on 28th August. There is no trace of any faculty, not even at the Borthwick Institute.

It is an event in the church’s life that we think merits marking. The ladies will decorate the church with flowers in time for an organ recital at 7.30pm on Friday 3rd by the talented organist, Dr. Simon Lindley (Organist and Music Master at Leeds Parish Church and at the Town Hall). Tickets, price £7, to include a glass of wine and canapés, are available from PCC members.

Saturday 4th will be an Open Day to see the flowers and to listen to the historic organ: four half-hour recitals at 11am, 12 noon and 2.30, 3.30pm, by local organists. Guides will be on hand to give information of the church’s features and history. Importantly, food will be served from mid-morning to late afternoon in the Village Hall. Then on Sunday 5th the preacher at the 11am Communion service will be the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.