Maya Pilbrow
11 November 2023
One of the oldest Anglican churches in Melbourne will celebrate its 170th anniversary with a historical re-enactment of what a service would have been like in 1853.
Christ Church Hawthorn’s upcoming anniversary service will use the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and follow the conventions of church services from the 1850s.
Parish priest the Reverend Andrew Dircks said the differences between services then and now were stark.
Mr Dircks said the language used was archaic, and congregational participation was minimal. He said services today were far more informal and inclusive.
Mr Dircks said he hoped the anniversary service would help people appreciate the parish’s rich heritage. He said he wanted people to understand better what church would have been like for the original parishioners at Christ Church.
Read more: Pantry in a car park to help Mordi church feed the hungry, fight food waste
Mr Dircks said engaging with church history was fundamental to Christian faith. He said Christian faith was grounded in the history of Jesus Christ.
“We should take history seriously,” he said. “We personally weren’t present 170 years ago or 2000 years ago, yet these historical events were real.”
Mr Dircks said certain historical events provided the foundation for faith and life today and it was worthwhile to pay attention to history and try to understand it.
Parishioner Jenny Bock said 170 years of church history was a cause for celebration.
“We’re still going,” she said. “As a church, we’re not dead yet.”
Christ Church Hawthorn will celebrate the 170th anniversary of the church’s foundation stone being laid on Sunday 19 November.
More information can be found on the parish website.
For more faith news, follow The Melbourne Anglican on Facebook, Instagram, or subscribe to our weekly emails.
