Terence Howes, in the St. George’s Parish Magazine, issue No.78, November 1998, writes:
This year [1998] our Diamond Jubilee is an occasion to look back on sixty years of solid achievement. Nine parish priests have presided over many material landmarks, including a parish hall, a primary school, a new porch for the Church, and various refurbishments over the years – to say nothing of the spiritual guidance they will have given to their people with an ever-open Church, daily Mass and access to the seven Sacraments.
And so it was that this year, 1998, Bishop Mervyn Alexander was able to celebrate our Diamond Jubilee Mass on September 29th, in a packed Church, assisted by his Secretary, Fr. Robert Corrigan, together with our own parish priest, Fr. Paul Brandon and former parish priests Frs. John Harding, Michael Larkin and David Ryan. Also celebrating with Bishop Mervyn were the Dean of Trowbridge Deanery, Very Rev. Desmond Millett, and priests from the Deanery, Frs. Joe O’Brien, Liam O’Driscoll and Michael Robertson. We were also extremely pleased to have on the Sanctuary Fr. Vincent Curtis, the first priest of Warminster has ‘produced’, Fr. Raymond Hayne, ordained this year and Canon William Roche, now retired. With such a galaxy of clergy it was fitting that Bishop Mervyn was able in his homily to liken the parish to a real family whose members shared with each other the various joyful occasions of parish life and sustained one another through the occasional sorrows. At the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop Mervyn presented Papal Awards – the Bene Merenti Medals and Scrolls – to three parishioners, Archie Lawson, John O’Brien and Terence Howes.
But the celebrations were not yet over. Bishop Mervyn, with several clergy and many parishioners, made their way to St. George’s School to bless and to formally open the new school hall – completed only that week – together with a new classroom, kitchen and staff room. A brass plaque, unveiled by the Bishop, commemorates the occasion; earlier that day the children had released dozens of balloons to take the good news far and wide, and had celebrated the occasion in their own special ways – hopefully an occasion they will remember for many years.
So our parish goes forward into the next century, giving thanks to God for all that has been achieved in sixty years. It is almost one hundred years since the first Mass since the Reformation was celebrated in Warminster in 1900 and there is every hope that St. George’s, both parish and school, will flourish for many years to come.