St. Francis de Sales, Milton Keynes

Introduction

The Parish of Saint Francis de Sales bears the title mother church for the Catholic churches in Milton Keynes. The Church of Saint Francis de Sales in Milton Keynes was consecrated on Wednesday 23rd September 1981. The parish of Saint Francis de Sales took its origin from the Church’s answer to Catholic Emancipation and the Industrial Revolution, bound up with the Restoration of the Catholic Hierarchy in 1850 and with Wolverton as a railway town by 1860.

History

In the time before the church, Catholics in Wolverton were served by a priest from Aylesbury or walked 9 miles to Weston Underwood, and by 1844 the church at Weedon was extending pastoral care to Wolverton Station. The year 1864 brought Father Francis Cambours, who soon raised £1,000 towards establishing the Mission. Records say Father Walker tended Catholics among the Belgium refugees and the soldiers who attended Easter celebrations in 1915. The Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception (CRIC) served as resident priests in Wolverton and began the mission to the new city of Milton Keynes, and from that mission many of Milton Keynes’s new churches were built, supported or supplied.

In 1973 the parish priest of Wolverton moved to Stony Stratford, which was then a parish in its own right. In 2002 the parishes of Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Mary Magdalene were amalgamated, returning to their pre-1976 status.

Architecture and furnishings

An organ acquired from Northampton Cathedral was already 200 years old. A new altar was installed with an antique oak reredos bearing statues of Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Thomas Becket, Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Edmund the Martyr. Stained-glass windows made by Catholic artist Earnest R. Twining of Joseph Bell & Son were installed as a memorial to parishioners killed on active service in World War II.

Music and liturgy

Couples may choose between a Nuptial Mass and a Wedding Service, with the priest consulted on scripture readings and music. Only sacred music and hymns are permitted at weddings. New RCIA sessions begin each September.

Parish life

The parish comprises two churches, two presbyteries, two parish gardens and a parish hall, with an average attendance of 300 people. The parish boundaries extend to Aylesbury to the South, Buckingham to the West, Olney to the East and Pottersbury to the North. No clear reason has been identified for the choice of Saint Francis de Sales as patron, who is the Patron of Writers and Journalists. The year 1867 marked the Third Centenary of the saint's birth, and he was noted for his preaching and missionary work.

A group of Stewards welcomes parishioners attending Mass every weekend. A group of Cleaners cleans the churches each week, with separate teams for St Mary Magdalene and St Francis de Sales.

Clear indications of good relations with other Christians appear in the parish diaries, and ecumenism starts early in the parish. Stewards distribute Hymn books and Mass leaflets and serve as the main contacts for initial parish queries.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Parents must complete the Anchor Course before they can commence the Baptism Course. The Baptism Course takes place in the Presbytery at St Francis de Sales, Wolverton.

The RCIA Youth Course is adapted for young people aged between 9 and 17 years old. The parish runs four sessions to prepare children for First Holy Communion.

The Confirmation Preparation Course has 12 sessions starting after Easter, usually in May, and finishing the following year after Easter, using The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 1. Adults who missed confirmation as teenagers can still be confirmed via Adult RCIA, RCIA Youth, or by appointment with the Parish Priest.

One year's notice is required for marriage preparation, and no bookings should be made before the Parish Priest confirms the date. The marriage preparation course has 8 sessions culminating in a half-day retreat.

Patients in MK Hospital can receive Holy Communion on Sundays or the Sacrament of the Sick by contacting the Chaplaincy to reach the Catholic Chaplain. Families planning a funeral should make an appointment with the Parish Priest to discuss plans and arrangements. Families decide whether to have a Requiem Mass or a Funeral service, with the Parish Priest's help. Families may choose to have a Vigil in Church with the coffin staying overnight before the funeral.