Origin and Purpose of the Stations
On Sunday the 15th September 1946 the present set of Stations were presented to Christ Church as a gift from Cecil Margaret Darnell, in memory of her sister Agnes Mary Darnell and other members of her family. The Darnell family were regular worshippers at Christ Church.
The idea for the gift came from a conversation Cecil Margaret Darnell overheard between her mother and Christ Church's founding priest, Fr Charles Lyndhurst Vaughan. During the conversation Fr Vaughan expressed a hope that there might one day be a fine set of the Stations of the Cross at Christ Church.
The Stations were Blessed by the then Rector Fr Percy Maryon-Wilson on the day they were presented. Each Station was hung, one by one, by Fr Maryon-Wilson. A Scout from the 9th Christ Church Scout troop was responsible for each Station, the Scout leader, Gerald Funnell, stood by the last.
On Sunday the 15th September 1946 the present set of Stations were presented to Christ Church as a gift from Cecil Margaret Darnell, in memory of her sister Agnes Mary Darnell and other members of her family. The Darnell family were regular worshippers at Christ Church.
The idea for the gift came from a conversation Cecil Margaret Darnell overheard between her mother and Christ Church's founding priest, Fr Charles Lyndhurst Vaughn. During the conversation Fr Vaughn expressed a hope that there might one day be a fine set of the Stations of the Cross at Christ Church.
The Stations were Blessed by the then Rector Fr Percy Maryon-Wilson on the day they were presented. Each Station was hung, one by one, by Fr Maryon-Wilson. A Scout from the 9th Christ Church Scout troop was responsible for each Station, the Scout leader, Gerald Funnell, stood by the last.
The Stations were designed by Ian Howgate and made by The Faith Craft Works for whom Ian Howgate worked as a designer and craftsman from 1928-1939.
There are several impressions of the same design around the country in Anglo-Catholic Parish Churches. Though the first plaster cast set was sent to a Roman Catholic Church St Augustine of Canterbury, Leeds in 1935.
Of these sets of Stations, St Michael's Church Abingdon have an identical set to ours. Members of their Church have traced the history of these sets of Stations.
With thanks to St Michael's' for allowing use of their research on this page.
Read St Michael's full research about these sets of Stations HERE
The captions under each photo are as carved into the frame of each Station.
