HISTORY OF SANTA MARGARITA

Part 1) THE BRITISH CONNECTION      Part 2) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH

Part 3) THE BUILDING                               Part 4) OUR PATRON SAINT


THE ANGLICAN CHURCH


Cross on display
in the Church
 

The fourth british invasion of Menorca began in the early 1960's and still continues - a benign invasion of ex-pats and eager holiday-makers - and it was in the 1960's that the Anglican Church in Menorca as we know it first took shape, following a visit in 1966 by the Chaplain of St Phillip and St James, Palma de Mallorca (the Reverend Edmund Capper).

Communion services were held at two-monthly intervals in the houses of the residents and later in both the Catholic church in Es Castell (in the summer) and the Evangelical church in Mahon (in the winter). In 1984 the services were increased to one per month, and in 1985 a significant event occurred with the discovery by Martin White of a little used chapel attached to a convent in calle Stuart, Es Castell. The nuns having moved to the Parish church, the Catholic church very generously offered the Chapel of Santa Margarita on permanent loan, with the approval of the Carmelite Mother Superior and the Bishop of Menorca.

The Anglican community relied upon visits from chaplains from Mallorca for twenty-five years for the administration of Communion. The Rev'ds John Moody, Hedly Pickard, Richard Matthews, Frank Millar and Jim Hawthorne all played their part. During this time, in 1987, Jake Sanders was licensed by Bishop John Satterthwaite (of the Diocese of Gibraltar) as Lay Assistant thus enabling Matins to be celebrated monthly.

In 1988 Bishop John, on a visit to Menorca, declared that the island was ready for its own Chaplaincy. He told the then congregation to start raising money, and a spate of fund-raising and budget projections followed. At this time we also received help from the Intercontinental Chaplains appointed to look after Saga holidaymakers staying at the Hamilton Hotel. These chaplains took services in Santa Margarita, but it was not until 1991 that the first locum, the Rev'd Canon David Dixon, arrived to prepare the way for a permanent Chaplaincy. He was followed by Rev'd Kenneth Evans and Canon Alan Gibson, until the arrival of our first resident Chaplain, Rev'd Stanley Underhill on 1st July 1992.

He was instituted in December of that year and continued in the post until January 1994. During his tenure, he established monthly Communion services at Cala'n Porter and formed a P.C.C. in place of the former committees. A constitution was adopted, and Menorca became a separate Chaplaincy within the Diocese of Gibraltar. Jake Sanders was appointed first Churchwarden. Following Stanleys' retirement on the grounds of ill health, a series of locums, Rev'd David Webster, Rev'd Hugh Crossely, Canon David Dixon (three visits), Canon Raymond Nichols, Rev'd Anthony West, and Father John Potter maintained the Chaplaincy. During this period, Canon Derek Jackson was an incumbent for 11 months in 1995, until the arrival of the next permanent incumbent, Rev'd Frank Holt at the end of the year.

In mid-April, Rev'd Frank Holt was recalled to England. Morning prayer was taken by congregation members for ten weeks until the arrival of Canon David Dixon (fifth visit!) who was here for two months followed by Canon Raymond Nichols and Rev'd Anthony West, both on their second visit.

In mid-October, 1997, Rev'd Dr Simon Stephens RN (Ret'd) arrived as our third permanent chaplain. Simon's stay of two years was marked by a notable growth in enthusiasm for the Church. In October 1999, however, he was transferred to Moscow (also part of the Diocese of Europe) and a member of our own congregation, Rev'd Alan Stockbridge, stood in for some weeks until the arrival of Bishop Eric Devonport, whose stay concluded with the arrival, in March 2000, and the institution of our present Chaplain, Rev'd Dr Michael Bunce....long may he stay with us!