The building stands as an image of the Church itself, which is God’s temple built from living stones, and its altar is a sign of Christ himself, who is priest, victim and the altar of his own sacrifice, around which the people of God stand and are refreshed by the heavenly banquet.

Mention must be made at this time, of Father Thomas Foynes, recently deceased, Parish Priest of Bicester from 1946 – 1964, whose determination and drive brought about the building of this fine church in the 1960’s, which has slowly been re-ordered over the intervening years. He was supportive of these changes which he saw as enhancing the elegant simplicity of its traditional lines.

In being here today, we are present at an event which brings to a climax the work that was begun through the generosity of Lord William North of Wroxton Abbey and the co-operation of Rocco Tenchio. In 1869, this Italian jeweller opened his home in Sheep Street in order that the Mass could be celebrated once again in Bicester after an absence of over three hundred years. The priest who celebrated this and the subsequent Masses was Father J.Robson of Hethe. This arrangement was to continue until 1883 when Father Robson’s successor, Father P.Sweeney, opened a small school in Kings End which was to serve also as a chapel. The turn of the century saw the return of religious life to Bicester when Benedictine (Olivetan) Nuns, exiled from France settled in "South View" in 1904, moving eventually to a house in Priory Lane. It was here that they built a chapel, opened in 1908, which was to become in 1920 Bicester’s Catholic Church. Yet to become a parish, the people of the town were served successively by the Sacred Heart Fathers who lived in ‘The Limes’, Church Street, then the Servite Fathers from Begbroke, the Franciscans from Buckingham and then, once more from Hethe, becoming a parish in 1943 when Father Stephen Webb S.J. became its first Parish Priest. Ten years later, during the time of Father Foynes, a convent of Irish Presentation Sisters from the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin was established under the able direction of Mother Michael. Today the parish is fortunate in still having the presence of these Sisters in their midst.

Since those early beginnings of the re-awakening of the Catholic Faith, the community has continued to grow and now we stand in a building that is a testament to the faith, hard work, and devotion of all those parishioners who have gone before us. We pray for them in gratitude at this Mass of Consecration and we hope that we, in turn, will continue to build for the future generations who will worship in this place.