St George's

Introduction

St George's Church on Sprowston Road in Norwich was opened on 18 March 1964 and consecrated on 24 May 1966.

History

By 1960 Sprowston was confirmed as the parish's priority and architect Sebastian Comper was approached. Within two years of the building being opened, the parish had paid off the debt and it was able to be consecrated on 24 May 1966.

By the late 1960s clergy at Saint George's were saying Mass in a school for the growing number of Catholics in the northeast of Norwich, and a Development Fund was established to buy a site for a church and junior school on Saint Williams. Volunteers carried out much of the site clearance before construction began. The altar was moved forward in 1970. A cedar wood parish hall was built south of the church by the autumn of 1964.

Piling for the east end reached 89 feet, and at the west end 60 feet. The choir stalls were placed at the east end of the north nave, with a new organ console.

Music and liturgy

Bible study groups have studied the Gospel of St Matthew, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Book of Revelation. Ecumenical services include a joint Carol Service with St Cuthbert's Church on the third Sunday of Advent.

Parish life

The parish hosts the 17th Norwich (St George's) Scout Troop. The Scout Troop was founded as a Catholic troop by a former parish priest and is open to all. The local SVP conference was set up in 1952 to help those in need within St George's parish regardless of faith. The SVP has worked closely with Norwich's homelessness charity St Martin's Housing Trust.

The Daytime Prayer Group started in 2006 with six people and has grown to over 25 members. The parish forms Sprowston Community Churches with Anglican and Methodist churches in the area. The parish has a team of altar servers aged from 8 to their 20s and 30s. Altar servers are enrolled into the Guild of St Stephen after a year's probation.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion take communion to the sick and housebound within the parish. Catechists provide sacramental preparation for baptism, first reconciliation, holy communion, confirmation, and adult baptism or reception. A Parish Pastoral Council supports the parish priest, with representatives from the different churches and demographics. Eight members join the parish priest in council once a quarter.

The PPC hosts an annual general meeting each autumn for the whole parish. The Fabric Committee, with representatives from each of the three churches, meets four times a year to consider building issues. The Finance Committee consists of parishioners with finance or business expertise who advise the parish priest. The parish runs an annual 'Journey in Faith' course for those interested in becoming Catholic or deepening their understanding.

Parishioners represent St George's at ecumenical meetings and diocesan committees. Flower arranging teams, comprising men and women of all ages, decorate the churches. Flower arrangers work on a rota, sometimes in pairs, and occasionally offer training sessions. The SVP meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the meeting room at St George's church. The parish CAFOD group has raised over £100,000 for various projects over the years.

Regular events

A United Advent Service takes place on the first Sunday of Advent, hosted by a different Sprowston church each year. Each year, from autumn until the start of summer, the parish engages in bible study.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Children are prepared for first holy communion annually, with a course running from January to June. A minimum of six months notice is required for all weddings.

Visiting

Based at St George's parish hall, Explorers meet each Tuesday, Cubs and Beavers on Wednesdays, and Scouts on Thursdays. The ministry of Reader is a formal one acquired after some basic training and a rite of commissioning.