St Benet’s Church feels it has a particular kinship of affection, and bond of prayer, with St Stephen’s House, Oxford. St Stephen’s House is a Church of England seminary in Oxford which forms those preparing to be ordained as deacons and priests. We hold St Stephen’s House constantly in our prayers.
We have many links with St Stephen’s House at St Benet’s. Our parish priest, Fr Peter Anthony, trained there. We are also proud that many of our pastoral assistants go on from St Benet’s to study at St Stephen’s House in formation for ordination. These include Nick Archer, Tom Crowley and William Hamilton-Box. Ordinands from St Stephen’s House often join us to help celebrate some of our Advent and Christmas liturgies, along with Holy Week and St Benedict’s Day, each year.
We always say at least one Mass a month for the staff and students of St Stephen’s House, and one Mass a month for an increase in vocations to the diaconate and priesthood. In addition to this, we always dedicate one decade of the Rosary to the intention of the sanctification of the ordinands of St Stephen’s House when we pray the Rosary each week on Wednesdays.
May God bless St Stephen’s House, its staff, students, and former students, and may God give his Church many workers to be sent into the harvest fields of evangelisation!
On a visit to St Stephen’s House in 2019, Fr Peter with three former pastoral assistants of St Benet’s, who were then studying at St Stephen’s House, and our then current pastoral assistant.
