Monday 17 August 2009

Dedication Stone

We jumped into history today, as we had taken away the original “dedication stone” of the old Church, which was placed there in 1932 by the Anglican founders of this Church. On the actual stone we read:
A.M. + D.G.
THIS DEDICATION STONE
WAS LAID ON JULY 2ND 1932 BY
MARY J. JOHNSON


Beneath the stone we discovered, as was reported in history, a little box with soil from the Holy Land and a letter by Fr. Frank Johnson, the first Anglican Priest of this Church of the Holy Spirit (as it was known in its Anglican period).

The exact contents of the letter are given below.



The Feast of the Visitation of Our Lady
July 2nd 1932


The Revd. F.R. Johnson

S. Leonard’s Clergy House,
Kenton,
Tel: Harrow 2914. Middlesex.

The soil in this box came from under the Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsemane and was placed in the Wall of this Church of the Holy Spirit, with a bottle of Holy Water from the Holy Wells of our Lady at Walsingham, by Frank Reginald Johnson first Priest of this Parish of S. Leonard Kenton, Middlesex.

May the Holy and Undivided Trinity ever bless the work of Holy Church.

May our Lady Mary the Mother of Jesus our Lord ever pray for this parish where since the first Chapel was build in Kenton in 1324 in her honour she has been loved.

May Blessed Saint Leonard our Patron pray for his poor parishioners and watch over us with a loving father’s care.

Frank Reginald Johnson
Priest ordained by Arthur
Foley Bishop of London.

Mary Jane Johnson my dearest Mother
laid the Stone over these Relics.

We didn’t find though the bottle with Holy Water. It may still be there somewhere.

1 comment:

Α. Παπαγιάννης said...

This is history indeed! It tells something significant about the people who built the original chruch and worshipped in it, and I am sure you will preserve these relics with all due care.
May the Lord and our Panagia grant you the blessing of worshipping in the new Church soon, and for many years to come!