BY DAVID WALSH
DEDICATION OF THE CHAPEL OF ST AUGUSTINE
‘T
hrough the ages, Almighty God has moved his people to build houses of prayer and praise, and to set apart places for the ministry of his holy Word and Sacraments. With gratitude for the rebuilding of the Chapel of St. Augustine, we are now gathered to dedicate it in the name of God’. With these words from the
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O L D TO N B R I D G I A N N E W S
Bishop of Newcastle, Alec Graham (OT), on 20 October 1995, a spectacularly joyous and unforgettable service of ‘Dedication of the Restored Chapel of St. Augustine of Canterbury’ began for a congregation of nearly 900 people, including the whole school and its wider community. Eighteen clergy were present, including seven bishops, and five of these clergy were OTs – Rt. Revd. Timothy Dudley-Smith, Rt. Revd. Edward Evans, Rt. Revd. Alex Graham, Revd. Canon John Halliburton and Revd. Norman Evans. The Bishop of Rochester, Rt. Revd. Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali, presided at the service. Twenty-five years on, a plan to celebrate this anniversary had been made by holding a weekend service in October 2020. That plan, like so much else in these most unusual school years, had to be shelved, but it is fitting that the memories of 20 October 1995 should be shared with all those whose generosity and commitment contributed to that singular act of faith, as the restored chapel has again become the central feature of life at Tonbridge for each successive generation. Ruth Gledhill, religious
correspondent of The Times, attended the service and explained the context of the 1988 fire and subsequent re-building: ‘Tonbridge School Chapel burnt down before an assembly of appalled and fascinated boys and local people who gathered on the cricket ground to watch. Nothing remained of the stained glass, organ, panelling, pews, high altar and reredos, and the walls and floor were badly damaged. Under architect Donald Buttress,
