We hope that you enjoyed the Stories from St. Mary’s Series – telling the tale of why our parish church is no ordinary village church. Now it’s time to meet the remarkable People from St. Mary’s…

2021 marked 800 years of Vicars at St. Mary’s

We start the new series with a light-hearted Q&A with our current Vicar – Dale Gingrich.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I come from a family of farmers. When I was growing up, I was sure I wanted to have a desk- job with regular hours, no battling the elements to tend livestock or trying to make crops grow. Pretty much anything that wasn’t a farmer!

What brought you to Bloxham?

The Bloxham Benefice was seeking a new vicar at a time when my wife had resigned from Cambridge University. She came across the Bloxham Benefice advertisement and thought it was everything I’d always hoped for.

What would your perfect day involve?

A day off is rare as a parish vicar, but perhaps a leisurely start with coffee and time to read the paper, and do the puzzles. Time to read, reflect, pray before going out for a nice meal and attending a concert or play, followed by an uninterrupted night’s sleep.

What’s your favourite meal?

I am spoiled for choice because my wife is an amazingly good cook. She makes an exquisite braised beef with sundried tomatoes, shallots, grainy Dijon mustard and cognac. I also like pizza and anything from the BBQ.

What’s the most important lesson life has taught you?

There is a time and season for everything, and patience is more than a virtue, it’s a way of life.

What makes St. Mary’s special for you?

St Mary’s has so much potental to be a hub of transformaton for the lives of people in the village and surrounding areas. The people, resources and positon of the church in this community provide great chances for further growth and development – connecting people with each other, whilst rooted firmly in the presence of God that has sustained ministry in this place for centuries.

This series is brought to you by the Building Our Future (BOF) project team.