FORMER Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is to return to the church where he worshipped as a student to celebrate its restoration.

Lord Williams of Oystermouth will be among those marking the restoration of the medieval city church of St Mary Magdalen in Oxford city centre.

In December a £465,000 renovation project was completed, with the scheme featuring extensive work to repair the roof and the church interior.

During the restoration historic discoveries were made, including colourful roof shields and a cross dating back to the 14th century.

At the weekend a festival will be held to celebrate the completion of the work and Lord Williams will be joined by the Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark, who also worshipped at the church as a student.

The vicar, Fr Peter Groves, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming so many friends, from past and present, to celebrate the building and the church community which means so much to us all.

“St Mary Magdalen’s has witnessed to the Christian faith in Oxford for almost 1,000 years, and we look forward to continuing to do so as we go from strength to strength into the future.”

The festival weekend begins on Saturday with High Mass at noon.

The preacher will be Canon Sarah Foot, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History, and Canon of Christ Church, who is the most recent member of the St Mary Magdalen congregation to be ordained. Evensong will be sung at 4.30pm, and will feature a reunion of past members of the parish choir, which is marking 20 years in its current form.

Director of music, Will Dawes, returns to conduct for the occasion, having spent the previous Sunday singing at the Grammy Awards in New York City with the ensemble Stile Antico, which has several former singers from St Mary Magdalen’s among its members. On Sunday morning, at 10.30am, the church will celebrate the Feast of Candlemas, with a High Mass and sermon from Lord Williams.

Both bishops are among the hundreds of members of the church who have been ordained into the ministry of the Church of England.

The church is founding a clergy guild to stay in touch with as many of those former members as possible and is also launching a new School of Theology.

This will support the wider Church through theological teaching.

Lord Williams said: “It is a great joy to be back to St Mary Magdalen’s for this festival weekend.

“The church has a central position not only physically in Oxford but spiritually in the minds and hearts of Catholic Anglicans worldwide. Its open door has been for countless people a door into renewed faith and profound joy in believing.”