THE FOUNDATION STONE
INSCRIPTION ON THE FOUNDATION STONE
"This Foundation Stone from Clare Priory, Suffolk, the first Augustinian Monastery founded in England 1248, was carried to Harborne by the St. Mary's Scout and Guide Group.
Feast of St. Augustine, 28th. August 1978."The Foundation stone is located just inside the entrance to the church, on the right, under the statue of St. Augustine.
St. Mary's Scouts wanted to do something for the new church in which they were all physically involved. They asked Fr. Prior if they could collect a Foundation Stone and pull it back to St. Mary's on a trolley and Fr. Prior arranged for them to collect a stone from Clare Priory, Suffolk, the first Augustinian Priory in England.
A reconnaisance trip showed that the Scouts could cover the 130 miles over two weekends, provided they walked in relays and that a caravan served as a mobile food and rest centre.
The first weekend the older Scouts stayed at Clare Priory on the Friday night and started their journey after Mass next morning. The day went very smoothly except that one team took the trolley right through the centre of Cambridge which was not on their route! On Sunday evening they arrived at the outskirts of Northampton and left the stone at the Cathedral.
The next weekend was the turn of the younger Scouts who did a magnificent job, one team pulling the trolley right across Coventry. The stone reached St. Mary's for the 5 0'clock Mass on Sunday evening and the four Scouts who had walked the furthest carried the stone into the church where it was received by Fr. Prior.
The stone was subsequently built into the new church and mounted with a fine engraved plaque. The Cubs, Scouts and Brownies attended a Mass of special celbration on the feast of St. Augustine, 28th. August 1978 and provided a Guard of Honour while the Foundation Stone was blessed.
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