A church in Petersfield was featured in a documentary programme on the Sky Arts channel. 

Parts of Alec Guinness: A Class Act was filmed at St Laurence Church in April and it appeared in recent episodes. 

In the programme, Petersfield appeared through drone shots alongside the church’s interior and the hands on the lectionary were those of Father Peter Hollins.

The show is about Oscar winning actor Sir Alec Guinness and explores his life through accounts by family, friends and peers. He and his wife Merula converted to Catholicism in the late 50s when Father Henry Clarke was parish priest. 

Guinness is known worldwide for having portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Parishioner Ann Saunders said: “In the early 1990s Sir Alec read from The Book of Genesis in his instantly recognisable voice at the Easter Vigil. I then read from Exodus and thought ‘what a hard act to follow.’”

Ann added that one time at evening mass, a 10-year-old boy nudged his father after shaking hands with the person in front at the Sign of the Peace and he said, ‘that was Obi-Wan Kenobi!’ 

One of the parishioners was the Guinness’s housekeeper for many years, thanks to the suggestion of Canon Cyril Murtagh, who became a good friend of the couple.

Father Hollins added: “There have been so many wonderful members of this parish over the years and Sir Alec was one of them.”

Guinness and his wife are buried at Petersfield Cemetery.