Reverend Canon Christopher Scott
Class of 1962
Reverend Canon Christopher Michael Scott
1944-2021 (Cowell’s, 1957-1962)
The following obituary was written by Clare Hicks
We were all saddened to hear recently of the death of Father Christopher who was Rector of St Michael’s and St Marwenne’s from 1998 until he retired in 2008. We send our condolences to Linda and all the family. With their help and permission, I have written the following about Christopher’s very full life:
Christopher was born on the 9th April 1944 at Henley. He attended school at St Edward’s Oxford where he twice won the Organ Prize. After leaving school he taught in Raipur, India for 9 months before returning to England to study Theology at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. In 1966 he trained for the priesthood at Cuddesdon Theological College in Oxford. He was ordained in 1968 at Canterbury Cathedral by Archbishop Michael Ramsey and took up the post of Curate at St Edward’s, New Addington, near Croydon. In 1969 he was priested at Trinity tide.
1971 saw him becoming Priest-in-Charge of St George’s, New Addington, the daughter church of St Edward’s. During this time he also taught regularly in both primary and secondary school. Christopher and Linda were married in 1973 and in the same year he became Curate of St Stephen’s, Rochester Row, Westminster. He also became a part-time Chaplain at Westminster hospital and taught a student group at Imperial college whilst also teaching in a church school. During this period, Christopher and Linda’s first son, David, was born in 1976.
Christopher became Vicar of St Michael’s, Enfield in the Diocese of London in 1978, and in 1979 second son Michael was born. The family moved to the Guildford area in 1981 for Christopher to take up the post of Vicar at St Lawrence’s, Effingham with Little Bookham. Daughter Clare arrived during Christopher’s ministry here, completing the family. In 1987 another move took the family to Esher where Christopher became Rector of Christ Church.
Alongside his work as a parish priest, Christopher was also involved with a variety of local CofE schools as Chair of School Governors. During his time at Esher he was part-time Chaplain at the Princess Alice Hospice and Chair of Churches Together in Esher and district. He also became Rural Dean of Emly in 1991.
Christopher was a tutor for Post-Ordination Training in the Guildford Diocese from 1985 to 1991 and whilst at Esher trained 2 Curates. In 1992 he attended a ‘Rome Summer School’ organised by the Anglican Centre in Rome and in 1995 he took a 4 month sabbatical at Tantur in Jerusalem. From 1982 he became an Associate of the Community of the Servants of the Will of God.
In 1998 Christopher and his family moved to Bude as Rector of St Michael’s with St Marwenne’s, Marhamchurch. During his ministry here he was training priest for Rev Peter Judson. In 2003 he became an Honorary Canon of Truro Cathedral. On his retirement in 2008, he and Linda moved to Poughill.
Christopher was a published author: in 1983 he published an article ‘Rethinking the Family Service’, and in 1985 another article ‘The Uncertainty of Faith’. More recently he published his book ‘Unknowing and Astonishment, Meditations on Faith for the Long Haul’. He loved the arts in general and in particular music—he was a very talented pianist and organist. Christopher was also a keen watercolour artist and exhibited his work at local exhibitions. He enjoyed helping out local parishes during his retirement. Walking on the coast was another favourite and he also enjoyed travelling, especially to Italy and to see his eldest son David in Cambodia. He was a devoted Papa to seven grandchildren.
Christopher passed away on 8 April, one day short of his 77th birthday.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let your light perpetual shine upon him
Christopher Michael Scott – born 9th April 1944, died 8th April 2021, aged 76.
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