Saint Olave’s Church, Marygate, York … known for its liberal Catholic tradition of liturgy, music, prayer, theological understanding and preaching (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)
Patrick Comerford
During out weekend stay in York, I attended the Sunday Eucharist in Saint Olave’s Church on Marygate in the city centre on Sunday morning (19 January 2025, Epiphany II).
Saint Olave’s Church is one in a group of four city centre parishes in York that also includes All Saints’ Church, Pavement, he Guild Church and Civic Church of York; Saint Denys Church, Walmgate; and Saint Helen with Saint Marin, Stonegate.
Saint Olave’s aims to be a worshipping, learning and healing community that is non-judgmental, that offers gentleness, security and acceptance. The four churches share a vision of working together to serve all the people in their parishes, including residents, visitors and students, and of being part of the life of the city, while maintaining and developing the traditions of each church.
Saint Olave’s Church is within the liberal Catholic tradition of Anglican liturgy, which is enriched by music, prayer, theological understanding and preaching. Music is at the heart of worship at Saint Olave’s, and the Sung Eucharist on Sunday mornings is at the heart of life in the church.
Major festivals are also celebrated with a Sung Eucharist, either on the day itself or on the nearest Sunday, and there is a healing Eucharist once a quarter. The church uses Common Worship for the Eucharist, Baptism and other services and the church uses the hymnbook Common Praise.
In Saint Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, for the Sung Eucharist on Sunday morning (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)
The celebrant and preacher at the Sung Eucharist yesterday (19 January 2025, Epiphany II) was the Revd Kingsley Boulton, assistant curate. He was ordained priest at Saint Olave’s last year (6 January 2024). He was a reader for 35 years before his ordination as Deacon in 2018, and was a librarian by profession before he retired.
The Revd Canon Liz Hassall is the Rector Saint Olave’s, Keith Wright is the Director of Music, and Dr Maximillian Elliott is the Assistant Director of Music. The music yesterday included music by Dieterich Buxtehude, Luca Marenzio and Ralph Vaughan Williams and the hymns reflected both the Gospel reading (the Wedding at Cana, John 2: 1-11), and the Week of Prayer for Christian Ununity.
The worship at Saint Olave’s has been described as being formal, but with a lightness of touch, creating time for reflection and allowing a sense of God’s presence. The Catholic tradition is reflected in the use of vestments and incense and a full team of servers.
The diverse congregation is drawn from within the parish and from a wider area of York and surrounding villages. St Olave’s members support local charities and the work of Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel). Members of Saint Olave’s are actively involved with the other York City Centre Churches in writing letters for Amnesty International and as part of the Community of the Cross of Nails. Both activities are based at Saint Martin’s Church, Coney Street, the church in York that is dedicated to peace and reconcilliation.
The ruins of Saint Mary’s Abbey Church form the boundary of Saint Olave’s churchyard (Photograph Patrick Comerford, 2025)
Saint Olave’s is the first church in the world dedicated to Saint Olaf, the former warrior King of Norway, who converted Norway to Christianity and was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad (Stiklarstaðir) in 1030. His cult spread rapidly throughout the Viking world.
Saint Olave’s was founded by Siward, Earl of Northumbria, who was buried there in 1055. A carved coffin lid from this period, possibly from Saint Olave’s, is in the Yorkshire Museum nearby and be from Siward’s grave.
After the Norman Conquest, Saint Olave’s was given to a group of Benedictine monks who came to York from the new foundation of Whitby via Lastingham. They built neighbouring Saint Mary’s Abbey, one of the greatest monasteries of mediaeval England. The ruined nave of the abbey church now forms the boundary to Saint Olave’s churchyard.
For the next 400 years, Saint Olave’s remained part of the abbey, serving the Bootham and Marygate area. The monks held the revenues previously due to Saint Olave’s as a parish church, leading to years of disputes and neglect.
A statue of Saint Olave over the north porch … Saint Olave’s Church, Marygate, is the first church ever dedicated to Saint Olaf (Photograph Patrick Comerford, 2025)
The church was given parochial status in the 15th century and the parishioners were ordered to repair the building. The church was rebuilt after 1466, when Archbishop George Neville ordered repairs, and the north aisle and wall was extended, which accounts for the asymmetrical placing of the tower.
The work was finished by 1471, when the church also had a clerestory in the nave, and the tower was rebuilt between 1478 and 1487.
Following the dissolution of Saint Mary’s Abbey in 1539, Saint Olave’s remained a parish church.
The altar, chancel and east window in Saint Olave’s Church, York (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)
During the Civil War, Charles I established his headquarters in the King’s Manor nearby. During the siege of York, the Parliamentary army set up a battery of cannons on the roof of Saint Olave’s, using it as a gun platform. In the bombardments of the siege in the summer of 1644, both the church and the area around Bootham and Gillygate were devastated.
The church was completely rebuilt and restored in 1720-1721, using stones from the abbey ruins, and the mediaeval clerestory was removed.
The church ended at the present chancel arch until 1887, and the different cross-sections of the east columns of the nave arcade may represent this. The present chancel was built in 1887, and the 15th century glass was put in the present east window. The stone corbels and stops in the chancel were left uncarved and unfinished at that time.
Four candles … Saint Olave’s Church is within the liberal Catholic tradition of Anglican liturgy (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)
The church is built of magnesium limestone in the perpendicular style. Some original mediaeval stone can be found in the tower structure. The east window includes 15th century glass. The internal monuments and memorials are largely 18th century.
As part of the late Victorian restorations initiated by the Revd William Croser Hey, the 18th century whitewash was removed from the walls and columns, revealing the 1721 stonework once again.
A vestry was converted to form the Chapel of the Transfiguration in 1908, a new vestry was built on the north side of the church, and the chancel was extended. The new sanctuary was created at the chancel steps in 1986 and a nave altar was introduced. The corbels and stops in the chancel were carved by the York sculptor Charles Gurrey in 2000-2001, completing the chancel.
The bells of Saint Olave’s were cast in 1789 by Robert Dalton, the last peal cast by a York bellfounder, ending a York tradition that lasted over 600 years. The bells were restored in 1988 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough. Further maintenance was carried out in 2018.
The Bapismal fornt in Saint Olave’s Church, York (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)
• Canon Liz Hassall has been Priest-in-Charge of the York City Centre Churches since 15 December 2020. The usual services at Saint Olave’s are: Sunday 8:30, Said Eucharist; Sunday 10:30, Sung Eucharist; Wednesday 9:15 pm, Compline; Friday 11:30, the Eucharist. Saint Olave’s is open during the day for visitors and people who wish to pray.
Saint Olave’s is one of four churches that are included the York City Centre Churches (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)
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