St Mary Magdalene

Timeline

The Opening

The new church of St Mary Magdalene was officially opened and blessed on Thursday, 25th September, 1958 by Bishop Leo Parker of Northampton.

The congregation of 400 included members of other denominations, and the Wolverton Urban District Council was represented by its chairman, Councillor T H Haseldine JP. The widow of Dr Bull, who had owned St Oswald's House, which was formerly on the site, was also in the congregation.

The celebrant of the Mass was Canon W Burrows, formerly Priest at Wolverton, and Deacon was Fr P Carey of Bletchley. Sub-Deacon was Fr L Hammond of St Francis, Shefford and Fr Eric Phillips, of Northampton, was Master of Ceremonies to the Mass.

Bishop Leo Parker taking part in the Opening Ceremony

The church is set back further than the buildings alongside it because of a ruling by the then Ministry of Town and Country Planning that all new constructions in the High Street in Stony Stratford had to be built 40 feet back from the pavement. This also applied to number 109 and later to the entrance to Cofferidge Close.

The Opening Ceremony was attended by a congregation of 400

At this time, in 1958, as a sign of respect, women always wore a hat or mantilla in church, and men always removed their hats on entering a church.