St Mary Magdalen's Church, Oxford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary Magdalen
St Mary Magdalen Location in Oxford city centre
51°45′17″N 1°15′32″W / 51.754620°N 1.258826°W / 51.754620; -1.258826
Location	Magdalen Street, Oxford
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Website	St Mary Magdalen, Oxford The School of Theology
History
Dedication	Mary Magdalene
Architecture
Functional status	active
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Designated	12 January 1954
Architect(s)	North aisle by GG Scott and WB Moffatt South aisle by Edward Blore Alterations to tower and chancel by William Wilkinson
Style	Gothic, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Jurassic limestone
Bells	10
Tenor bell weight	7 cwt, 1 st, 12 lb
Administration
Deanery	Oxford
Archdeaconry	Oxford
Diocese	Oxford
Province	Canterbury

St Mary Magdalen is a Church of England parish church in Magdalen Street, Oxford, England, dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene. It is one of the city's ancient parish churches and is a Grade I listed building.

History

A Saxon wooden church stood at the present site a thousand years ago, but was burnt down in 1074. Robert D'Oyly, the Norman Constable of Oxford, then built a single aisle chapel to replace the wooden church. Subsequently, Saint Hugh, the Bishop of Lincoln, rebuilt the church in 1194. His work can still be seen at the east chancel wall and the south aisle, as well as the altar dedicated to St Thomas Becket. A century later the scholars of newly founded Balliol College had an oratory dedicated to St Catherine in the present north aisle; and in 1320 the Carmelites founded a chapel in the south aisle, preserved as a unified piece to form the present Lady Chapel. Work on the tower began in 1513 and continued during the upheavals of the Reformation; some of the stones of Rewley Abbey, Oxford's Cistercian monastery, strengthened the base of the tower. In 1841–42, George Gilbert Scott, then young and unknown, rebuilt the chancel and the north aisle. This complemented his Martyrs' Memorial just north of the church. It was the first Victorian Gothic interior in Oxford.

Worship

Worship at St Mary Magdalen's is in the high, Anglo-Catholic tradition. Mass is celebrated 15 times per week: twice daily on weekdays, and three times on Sundays. The principal celebration is at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings.

The bells in the church have been rung regularly by the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers since the 1930s. They were augmented to be a ring of 10 bells in 2002.

Images for kids

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  Small baptismal font formerly in St Mary Magdalen's Church