New Rector appointed to head of Bicester churches team

The Reverend peter Wright was formally inducted into his new role at a special service on Tuesday evening at St Edburg’s Church, Bicester, led by the Right Reverend Gavin Collins, Bishop of Dorchester.

Clergy singing a hymn at St Edburg's Church (Image: Eddy Xi Gong)

The service was attended by around 170 people in person, with more participating online.

Dignitaries present included Mrs Miranda Markham, Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Mr Alex Thrupp, Mayor of Bicester and representatives from the military and other churches across Bicester.

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Peter has previously served at St Edburg’s as a Parochial Church Council member and churchwarden as well as Associate Priest and Team Vicar with responsibility for the villages of Bucknell, Caversfield and Launton.

Lindsey Anderson-Gear and Adrian Balshaw, the Churchwardens at St Edburg’s said: “We are delighted that Peter is continuing his ministry in this benefice in a new and significant role, and look forward to working with him in serving God and the community of Bicester and the surrounding area.”

Mr Wright said: “I am very much looking forward to continuing my ministry here, now as Rector of Bicester.

“I know what a wonderful, committed team we have, lay and ordained, and I am excited to be working with them.

“The Bicester Team reflects the great breadth of the Church of England, with new, rapidly growing Christian communities alongside thousand-year-old church buildings, and a wide range of services to allow people to worship in a way that meets their needs.

“We will continue to keep our churches at the very heart of the communities they serve.”

Mr Wright was born and brought up in Croydon and after attending university in Exeter lived on Tyneside and in London, before moving to Bicester, where he has lived for 20 years.

His early career was spent in business, with spells as a company director, management consultant, and eventually as an international trade adviser for the UK government, specialising in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Peter has three adult children, Jacob, Ella and Theo, is useful on a quiz team, has recently migrated from playing squash to badminton and is often seen around Bicester walking his dog.

As the oldest and only Grade 1 listed building in Bicester, St Edburg’s Church is a major part of the town’s history and a significant landmark in the countryside.

There was likely a stone church on the site in late Saxon times, although there is no mention of one in the Doomsday Book.

By the 13th century the church had been given to Bicester Priory which stood roughly where Old Place Yard is now.

The priory supplied the vicars and at intervals of about a century enlarged and improved the church.

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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