St Alphege Parish Church

St Alphege, Solihull, is a growing, vibrant church located in the very heart of the town of Solihull, 8 miles from the centre of Birmingham. The church stands proudly at the end of High Street as it has done now for eight hundred years. It is one of the important landmarks of our town and an enduring witness to the Christian faith. We are a church that uses the rich traditions of our faith to enhance our modern worship. There are morning eucharists every day except Friday, and four services on Sundays:
8.00am - Said Eucharist
9.15am - Family Eucharist
11.00am - Choral Eucharist
6.30pm - Choral Evensong
We offer services to suit all ages. Most are centred on the celebration of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). Visitors are welcome at all the services and there is an opportunity to talk informally over refreshments in the parish hall after the Sunday 9.15 service. There is also a variety of ‘alternative’ services aimed at young people and young families held regularly in the Parish Hall adjacent to the church.
Many people come into this beautiful building during the daytime to soak up the history, pray or sit quietly, or perhaps light a candle in the calm atmosphere. It is open each day from 8am until 3pm and there is usually a trained guide available to show visitors round the building.
St Alphege Church has been a dominant presence in the centre of Solihull since the late 12th Century, around 1190. Construction of the present church began in the 13th Century around 1277 but was not completed for over 250 years in 1535.
There has been a history of change and development through the centuries as the church has met the challenges and needs of the Parish. Major challenges to the structure have included a collapsed spire and pillars to be buttressed.
It is a fine medieval building with Grade 1 listed status, many beautiful stained glass windows of varying ages and other interesting internal and external features. The challenges of maintaining the fabric are largely shouldered by the Guardians of St Alphege who undertake to raise much of the funds needed. The spire has recently needed significant work including placing a new weather vane. The latest innovations include the installation of screens and audio visual equipment to enable all who attend to take part in the service even when a medieval pillar is in the way!
St. Alphege, to whom the church is dedicated, was born in 954 and was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1006 to 1012. By an early tradition Alphege's birthplace was Weston, near Bath. He entered the important Benedictine priory at Deerhurst near Tewkesbury and became Abbot of Bath in 973. Appointed by Archbishop Dunstan, Alphege was consecrated Bishop of Winchester on the 19th October 984. His self discipline, holiness and encouragement of alms-giving to the poor became legendary. Despite renewed raids by the Danes he completed the substantial extension of the Anglo-Saxon cathedral. When the Danes raided in great force in 994, King Ethelred asked Alphege and others to make peace with them. This was agreed after a Danegeld payment of 16,000 pounds (£500 million today). Olaf, one of their leaders, was confirmed a Christian by Bishop Alphege, the King being Olaf's sponsor, and he agreed never to fight in England again. Soon after Olaf, now King of Norway, converted Norway, Iceland and Greenland to Christianity. At fifty-two years of age, Alphege was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury in 1006. He led the church in England through the disruptions and uncertainties of renewed and extensive attacks, which came to a head in 1011. The Danes overran nine counties in south-eastern England and then besieged Canterbury. They entered the city, killed most of the people and burnt everything. Alphege was taken in chains with other worthy prisoners to be exchanged for ransoms. After seven months the Danes wintered at Greenwich where an epidemic broke out. Alphege was allowed to minister to them and converted some to be Christians. When he refused to allow his people to pay a ransom of 3,000 pounds of silver the Danes felt deceived and on Easter Saturday, the Saturday after Easter, the 19th April, in a drunken rage they disobeyed their leaders and pelted him with ox bones and stones. One of the soldiers, Thrum, who had recently become a Christian, put him out of his agony with an axe blow to his head. He was buried at St. Paul's in London and in 1023 his body was translated to Canterbury by King Canute, with great ceremony. It was buried on the left of the High Altar where monks venerated it for long after. St. Alphege died for justice. His life and death give a special Christian meaning to reconciliation.