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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Friday, 15 November 2013. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
MEMBERS of Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry, Oxford, will be guests at a special service to be held in Westminster Abbey to commemorate the life and work of their most famous parishioner, CS Lewis.
At the service, to be held on Friday 22 November - the 50 th anniversary of Lewis's death - former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will preach and a commemorative plaque to the author will be unveiled in the Poets' Corner of the Abbey. C S Lewis lived in Oxford for all of his adult life and was a member of the congregation at Holy Trinity for over 30 years.
He is buried in the churchyard.
Best known for his series of children's books, "The Chronicles of Narnia", Lewis was also a noted academic and writer of popular books exploring aspects of Christianity. Margaret Taylor, who has organised the trip to Westminster Abbey, said, "When I heard that CS Lewis was to be honoured in this way I thought it would be good if some representatives from Holy Trinity could be present at the service.
I contacted the Dean of the Abbey who was very keen and enthusiastic that we should be there and now over 50 of us will form part of the Abbey congregation for this special event". The Revd Tim Stead, vicar of Holy Trinity, who will be taking part in the service in Westminster Abbey, commented, "It is a mark of the respect and honour with which C S Lewis is regarded that he should be recognised in this way.
We welcome many visitors to the church who come to see where Lewis worshipped and where he now lies at rest.
The fact that he is now to be honoured nationally in the company of such authors as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Dickens indicates something of his stature as an author and the esteem in which he is held by many".