Farewell to Croydon: today is the last day as Vicar of Croydon for Canon Rev Dr Andrew Bishop, who has served at Croydon Minster since 2018
Father Andrew Bishop was in a reflective mood when I caught up with him this week during his final few days as the Vicar of Croydon.
Today, Sunday July 5, is his last day of work in Croydon. He takes his final eucharist, intones his final prayers, preaches his final sermon and then meets with parishioners and dignitaries on Minster Green for a farewell lunch.
After that, he is off to his new vicarage in Walsingham in Norfolk.
The shelves in his Minster office are bare. His mountain of books has been packed away in crates, with the removal firm perspiring heavily under their weight.
“There are three things that I will miss when I leave,” mused Canon Rev Dr Andrew Bishop, to give him his full titles.
“First, it is the people.”
The Vicar of Croydon is a very ancient church appointment. Bishop is the 62nd Vicar of Croydon since the position was created in 1289, when Edward I was the monarch of England.
In his time in the post, Father Andrew, as he was known to most, came into contact with a myriad of folk from across the social spectrum, both in church and out. Wearing a clerical collar allowed him to speak heart-to-heart with them, no matter their political persuasion, their social status or their faith.
“Second, it is the music.” Bishop has always championed the work of the choirs of Croydon Minster and made their contributions integral to the worship. He talks proudly of how Justin Miller, the music director, has continued to build on the great choral tradition which it has developed over many years.
“Third, it is the building.” Bishop loves to come into the Minster each day and look to see something new. It might be the sun highlighting a stained glass window from a slightly different angle. It might be just standing and taking in the historic presence of the thousands of people associated with the building over time. It might be reflecting on the lives of the six Archbishops of Canterbury buried there.
“I have done my best to sow the seeds,” he said, taking up the parable. “It will be for others to reap the harvest. Too often today, the focus is on the harvesters and the reapers and not on the sowers.”
The people, the music and the building: Andrew Bishop, here in conversation with Rt Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon, says there are things he will miss in Croydon
Bishop and Alice, his wife, are about to embark on a complete change of lifestyle in Norfolk, where he will be priest-in-charge of the Walsingham and Barnham benefice with Hempton and Pudding Norton. Seven churches make up the benefice, each historic building containing outstanding examples of church architecture.
One impressive memorial to local mother Mary Calthorpe, constructed in the 1640s by the Christmas brothers, is an outstanding feature of All Saints, East Barsham.
The rood screen in St Giles, Houghton St Giles, is from the 15th Century and includes a scene where St Anne is reading to a young Blessed Virgin.
As he well knows from his eight years at Croydon Minster, such ancient monuments bring much responsibility. With such a widespread benefice for his new ministry, Bishop will have plenty of travelling along narrow country lanes, even splashing through a ford or two, a far cry from the traffic jams on the Croydon Flyover or along Roman Way, outside the Minster. In coming weeks, he’s more likely to might get delayed by tractors and other agricultural traffic, even the occasional herd of cows or sheep.
There might not be so many residents as in Croydon, but there will be a large number of pilgrims to Walsingham from all over the world. Bishop has himself been a regular pilgrim throughout his years as a priest.
Shrine time: Walsingham is unique in having two shrines
Walsingham became a Christian shrine in 1061 when a noblewoman, Richeldis de Faverches, had visions of the Virgin Mary. Mary instructed her to build a replica of the Holy House of Nazareth, and so the Norfolk village became “England’s Nazareth”.
The shrine drew medieval kings and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims until its destruction in 1538 during the Reformation under Henry VIII.
Walsingham is unique today because it features two distinct shrines – one Catholic, one Anglican – both drawing around 350,000 pilgrims annually. Many walk the ancient, traffic-free paths from surrounding villages, participating in youth camps and retreats, seeking reflection and spiritual renewal.
The Catholic shrine is in Houghton St Giles, having been restored in 1896.
The Anglican shrine, for which Father Andrew will be taking on some responsibility, was re-established in 1921 by Father Hope Patten. The shrine is located in the village of Walsingham and features a modern replica of the Holy House that was built in 1938.
Once he arrives in north Norfolk, Bishop will also need to tune in to the Norfolk accent when he is greeted by expressions such as, “Ar yer orite Bor?”
Or even given the advice, “Slow you down, keep you carm.”
Norfolk locals are well known for their slower pace of life.
And in case Bishop is missing the music from the Minster, he can always tune in to BBC Radio 3 on December 16 to hear his former choir at the Minster sing Choral Evensong.
“Everything has its season,” Bishop writes in his final church notes, in a reference to the passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes.
“Just as there is a time for this and for that, my time in Croydon draws to a close. Nothing remains static in creation, vicars included.”
If you would like a group tour of Croydon Minster or want to book a school visit, then ring the Minster Office on 020 688 8104 or go to the website on www.croydonminster.org and use the contact page
Some previous articles by David Morgan:
- The weather warnings from history: thunderbolts and lightning
- 150 years after the last round-up for the Croydon Wool Fair
- Roll up! Roll up! Enjoy Croydon’s summer fayre, 1920s style
- The church fire that consumed a thousand years of history
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