Where, in the village, will you find a complete fossil ichthyosaur, a spoonbill, a green man, John de Verney's dog or a ring, which in ancient times, people could hold to avoid arrest?

These are all in St. Andrew's Church, which has cared for the village folk since it was built in 1100. This lovely building, believed to be the finest Norman structure in Somerset and one of Simon Jenkin's 1000 best English churches, was founded by one of William the conqueror's Knights, who gave it to the monks of Lonlay in France. In 1453 Henry VI took it from the French and presented it to his new college at Eton.

Our school has always had close links with St. Andrew's, using it for their annual Harvest and Christmas plays and services, as well as the Leavers' Service in the Summer. The children are encouraged to use the building and regard it as their own. It has its story to tell through art and architecture, the continuity of use through the centuries and the lives of village people, but, of course, the church is not merely a holy building, it is a group of people who try to follow the teachings of Christ. Stogursey villagers have a great affection for our school and the new generation taking its own part in the village's story and help us in many ways.

Whether as an exciting place to explore, a place to find quietness or a place to worship God, we trust that our old Parish Church will always be there to assist in the nurture of our young people's spiritual growth.

Father Tony Smith - September 2006