Worship
Worship at St Lawrence Parish Church is offered in the rich tradition of English Catholicism, drawing deeply from the devotional life, ceremonial beauty, and sacramental theology of the Catholic movement within the Church of England. Our worship seeks to offer to Almighty God the very best of holiness and beauty: reverent ceremonial, dignified liturgy, sacred music, and faithful preaching, all directed towards the worship of God and the sanctification of His people.
The church itself reflects the vision and ecclesiology of the nineteenth-century Oxford Movement, which sought to recover the sacramental life, devotional richness, and catholic identity of the Church of England. The arrangement of the sanctuary, the prominence of the high altar, and the eastward orientation of worship all express the theological conviction that the church building is not simply a meeting place, but a sacred space set apart for the offering of divine worship and the celebration of the Holy Mysteries.
The Mass is the heart of our parish life. Sunday by Sunday, and on the great feasts of the Church, we gather before the altar to encounter anew the mystery of Christ’s saving sacrifice in the Blessed Sacrament. Our liturgy is celebrated with incense, bells, sacred ministers, and a robed serving team, reflecting the ancient and continuous tradition of the Catholic Church. The ceremonial of St Lawrence’s is both prayerful and joyful, rooted in the conviction that earthly worship joins with the worship of heaven.
Music forms an integral part of our offering of worship. During university term time, Choral Evensong is sung by our auditioned choir to a very high standard, continuing the great Anglican musical inheritance which has nourished the spiritual life of the Church for centuries. The beauty of the Prayer Book rite, sung within the tradition of catholic worship, offers a profound sense of reverence, contemplation, and transcendence.
The Book of Common Prayer remains central to the devotional and liturgical life of the parish, particularly at Evensong and on appointed occasions throughout the year. Its language and theology continue to shape the prayer of the Church and deepen our participation in the mystery of divine worship.
Students and young adults play a full and valued part in the life of the sanctuary and choir, alongside members of the congregation who have worshipped at St Lawrence’s for generations. Many who have worshipped here have gone on to discern vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Whether serving at the altar, singing in the choir stalls, or praying quietly before the Blessed Sacrament, all are invited to discover in the worship of the Church a foretaste of the beauty and glory of heaven.
