Your church's name
Stercus Tauri
Shipmate
The church that we visit most often these days is one of many St Andrews, whose Feast Day is tomorrow. Being Presbyterian, we don't get too worked up about this kind of thing, and sure enough, when I asked if the day would be marked in some way, I got blank looks. It seemed that nobody connected the name of the church with the saint or his special day. But one of the ministers thought it a good idea, and the old saint will be mentioned at the opening of the service.
Does your church have an association or a dedication? Do you mark the day in any way?
Does your church have an association or a dedication? Do you mark the day in any way?
Comments
The church of my youth did have an annual Church Anniversary.
Curiously as I write this Apple Calendar is popping up a notification to remind me that St Andrew’s Day is tomorrow. Perhaps my iPad is Presbyterian…
We also mark the actual dedication day of the church building (which occurs in February), but without quite so much Fuss these days.
FatherInCharge holds a Sunday afternoon service each year for the local Lodge(s), on or around St George's Day. I've never attended, so I don't know what form the service takes.
The Patronal Festival in St John's was a very big thing: as the city is named after him he actually gets a public holiday, so we had an extra excuse to sing This is the record of John, which is imho one of the best anthems ever written.
I'll get me Oily and me Sou'wester...
“Westminster” is also a common name for Presbyterian churches in the US. And riffing on that as well as location (in terms of the part of town the church is located in), I know of “Eastminster,” “Southminster” and “Northminster” churches, too.
Historically “Covenant” is another common name, or component of a name. (It may be coupled with something else, like “Grace Covenant.”)
Name Memorial Presbyterian Church is also common. I generally view that as the Presbyterian version of naming the church for a saint. I grew up in a church with this type of name.
That said, churches named for saints can also be found, particularly St. Andrew and, in my experience, St. Giles, both for the obvious reasons. Many of the churches bearing Andrew’s name are “St. Andrews Presbyterian Church,” with an s but no apostrophe. I have seen the claim/theory that such churches should be viewed as being named for the town or university in Scotland rather than for the saint per se.
If a church is named for a saint other than Andrew or Giles, my experience is that the saint in question is almost always one of the other apostles.
Churches established in the last few decades seem to either stick with a location-based name or go for something more creative.
Meanwhile, the Saltire will be flying at our house tomorrow. 🏴
No.
(Anyone who knows the anthem will understand the reference. I’m sure Piglet gets the joke)
Tysilio's church wouldn't be anywhere near Ynys Mon, perchance?
It (or he) does - 6th January:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edeyrn
I guess most of these lesser-known/localised saints have their own feast day, but finding them out might involve some research!
Thank you - and that is the church (once very rural but now almost beside the main A48 dual carriageway!).
[Groan!]
Interesting - I was thinking of the well-known portmanteaux Llanfair PG, but I should probably have guessed that Wales would be knee-deep in saints!
The story goes that Murdoch MacLaine of Lochbuie convinced the Bishop of Argyll, over an after dinner decanter of port, that there was indeed a St. Kilda, when the Bishop was visiting Lochbuie during the construction period. The church has a depiction of the (non existent?) saint on one of its stained glass windows.
One place is named after "King Charles the Martyr" a fact which can divide opinion 🤭 Others are mainly local ones with a sprinkling of more 'normal' names all would recognise, the latter being mainly in the Victorian parishes. Devon dedications are much more ordinary in this regard although Plymouth had a Charles Church (lost in the war)
Devon tends to keep theirs ime also on the nearest Sunday but not as a joint celebration. The names are much more standard there than in its neighbouring county. Years ago a big Evensong with guest preacher and refreshments was common in both counties but that seems to have gone the way of all flesh these days.
@Stercus Tauri yes indeed St Erth in the far west is that dedication. Nobody seems to know why a Bishop of Slane visited Penwith though but many near places are dedicated to those who came from Ireland including Ia (St Ives or Porthia)
I am aware that Cornish Methodists were dead against using names of Saints but that may have been to avoid confusion. One exception was Truro where they elected to name the main chapel "Mary Clement" after the two ancient parishes. Local lore suggests it did not go down well with anglicans at the time. 🤣
I have greatiy enjoyed reading this thread and hope we get more contributions.
No Saint Ringo? Is outrage!
The Presbyterian Church of England (now URC) church of my childhood in south London is dedicated to St. Paul whose day generally went unremarked, but there was always an outbreak of kilts in the Sunday nearest St. Andrew’s day.