Cryptic crossword clue
  Part of service university held in public 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word COMMUNION

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
C
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M
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Part of service" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case part of service = communion.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does COMMUNION mean?

COMMUNION noun
  1. A joining together of minds or spirits.
  2. Holy Communion
  3. A form of ecclesiastical unity between the Roman Church and another, so that the latter is considered part of the former.

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