| | | Welcome to St Sampson’s Church Golant!
We are an active congregation with Services every Sunday (see below for this month’s Services) and a quiet, said Evening Prayer at 6 pm every Thursday evening.
We are blessed with a very talented little choir which practices every Thursday evening at 7.30 pm in Church and leads our worship on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. The choir really comes into its own for special Services such as Advent, Christmas and Easter.
In addition we have a small ring of 5 bells which are rung before the morning Services (ie 3 x a month). Practice is on a Monday night. Newcomers to both choir and bell ringers are VERY welcome! No previous experience necessary! Contact Church wardens: Carol White or Greg White in the village.
The times of monthly services will be shown below. For additional information please click on either of these two links.
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Fowey Parish Church
Truro Diocese
A warm welcome awaits you at St Sampson’s Church every Sunday.
Morning Services are followed by coffee and refreshments.
Our vicar, Revd Philip de Grey-Warter, is away on Sabbatical for 3 months until Easter so we will be welcoming visiting clergy up until then.
March 7th Lent 3 9.15 am Holy Communion Revd James Funnell
March 14th Mothering Sunday* 9.15am Holy Communion Revd Canon
with choir Michael Warner
March 21st Passion Sunday 6.00 pm Evensong Wendy Earl
March 28th Palm Sunday 9.15 am Holy Communion Revd Canon
with choir Michael Warner
April 2nd GOOD FRIDAY** 12 noon Reflections around Wendy Earl
the cross’
April 4th EASTER DAY*** 9.15 am Holy Communion Vicar with choir
April 11th Easter 2 9.15 am Holy Communion Vicar
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Notes:
*Mothering Sunday A Service for all the family when everyone is invited to bring a flower in thanksgiving for someone who mothered them. The resulting colourful basket is a wonder to behold!
(Maundy Thursday; 1st April 7.30 pm BCP HC @ St Fimbarrus, Fowey)
** ‘Reflections around the Cross’ – a quiet, meditative Service of music and readings focussing on the events of the day.
*** Easter Day – THE celebratory service of the Christian year! Come and join us!
____________________
Philip de Grey-Warter
Vicar of Fowey & Golant
The Vicarage, Fowey
Cornwall PL23 1BU
01726 83 35 35
vicar@foweyparishchurch.org
www.foweyparishchurch.org
The Church in late autumn viewed from the South
Cornwall has more saints than any other county! Saint Sampson is the only one whose life was recorded in some detail (Vita Saint Sampson c610-615AD). Many of the Cornish saints and others who travelled to Brittany and beyond landed from Ireland but mainly from Wales somewhere on the north coast of Cornwall and walked the " Saints Way" from north to south often stopping on the way to attempt to convert the heathen to Christianity. (The Saints Way from Padstow to Fowey via Golant is a popular route for walkers today who frequently make reference to their journey in the visitors book in the Church). St Sampson stayed sometimes in Golant and legends about him are depicted in some stained glass in the Church. He later travelled to Brittany ( see picture below taken from window by organ ) and eventually became Archbishop of Dol and the chief of the Seven Saints of that province.
Water flows continually into his Holy Well near the entrance porch which is sheltered by a rude arch of stonework, apparently of great antiquity; the water drawn from the well is still used today for baptisms.
The church has a star rating in Simon Jenkins book 'Englands Thousand Best Churches' which he describes as 'warm and welcoming'. Both the nave and south aisle have beautiful wagon roofs and are divided by clustered arcading. (since the book was published the plaster ceiling in the nave has been reinstated). Three granite arches in the nave are thought to be the remains of the original oratory. The pulpit, reading desk, bishops chair and a screen are superb examples of early 16th century carving depicting Saints and coats of arms of local families. A restoration and some rebuilding took place in 1842 at a cost of £534 when the screen which formed the chapel and the chancel at the east end was removed. The organ was installed about 10 years ago in 1992 and is a hybrid using some of the pipes from the two organs which were originally in St Michaels Church, Newquay during the 20th century. On the north wall is a huge coat of arms of James II in recognition of the Royalist sympathies which existed in this part of the county. The building is faced with granite and the battlement two stage tower is of the same material.
The stained glass is relatively modern except for two small portraits in medieval glass(St Sampson and St Anthony) in the north wall by the nave altar. Sir John Betjeman judged the pews in the nave to be the most uncomfortable in Cornwall!
Some of the real life drama of the love triangle of King Mark, Princess Isult(Isolde) to whom he was betrothed and his nephew, Tristan, was played out in the area and it is recorded that Isult attended the church and gave her wedding dress to be made into a priest's chasuble.
The South Aisle East Window
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