About Us
We are a parish within the Darlington Deanery, which is in the Archdeaconary of Auckland, being part of the Diocese of Durham.
The parish was created in 1872 and from that date has been distinctively Anglo Catholic in its life and witness. The PCC petitioned for Episcopal oversight under the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod 1993 (Resolution C). The PCC confirmed these arrangements in May 2012 and again in 2020.
On 19 February 2012, the then incumbent - Father Ian Grieves - presided at his final Mass at S James the Great after more than 22 years as Vicar. After that date he took steps to join the Ordinariate which had been established under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus which had been published by Pope Benedict in November 2009. Many of the then congregation decided to make the move with Father Grieves.
As well as being plunged into Interregnum, there were doubts as to the numbers of people remaining at S James' and whether it could be viable. Following a thirty month long vacancy, it was a relief to be able to appoint Father Kenneth Crawford as Priest in Charge. Father Kenneth was licensed on Friday 25 July 2014 which of course was also the date of our Patronal Festival. It was a splendid occasion as depicted in the photographs here.
In August 2020 - yes, the year of the pandemic! - Father Crawford resigned to take up a post in Newcastle Diocese. On this occasion we were not in interregnum for very long, because on 20 October 2020, Father Michael Way was licensed as Non Stipendiary Priest in Charge.
Our regular weekly services are Sundays - Parish Mass at 10:00 am and Wednesdays - Mass at 9:30 am. In addition, on the first Monday of each month we have a Mass for Our Lady of Walsingham. During the months April to October we have Book of Common Prayer Evensong with Benediction - on the second Sunday of the month.
The parish was created in 1872 and from that date has been distinctively Anglo Catholic in its life and witness. The PCC petitioned for Episcopal oversight under the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod 1993 (Resolution C). The PCC confirmed these arrangements in May 2012 and again in 2020.
On 19 February 2012, the then incumbent - Father Ian Grieves - presided at his final Mass at S James the Great after more than 22 years as Vicar. After that date he took steps to join the Ordinariate which had been established under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus which had been published by Pope Benedict in November 2009. Many of the then congregation decided to make the move with Father Grieves.
As well as being plunged into Interregnum, there were doubts as to the numbers of people remaining at S James' and whether it could be viable. Following a thirty month long vacancy, it was a relief to be able to appoint Father Kenneth Crawford as Priest in Charge. Father Kenneth was licensed on Friday 25 July 2014 which of course was also the date of our Patronal Festival. It was a splendid occasion as depicted in the photographs here.
In August 2020 - yes, the year of the pandemic! - Father Crawford resigned to take up a post in Newcastle Diocese. On this occasion we were not in interregnum for very long, because on 20 October 2020, Father Michael Way was licensed as Non Stipendiary Priest in Charge.
Our regular weekly services are Sundays - Parish Mass at 10:00 am and Wednesdays - Mass at 9:30 am. In addition, on the first Monday of each month we have a Mass for Our Lady of Walsingham. During the months April to October we have Book of Common Prayer Evensong with Benediction - on the second Sunday of the month.