We had a super day at St Mary's on Sunday celebrating the Nativity of St John the Baptist and giving thanks for our choir and the gift of music.  Over 100 worshippers came to the morning Eucharists and after the Parish Eucharist we made short work of great quantities of Pimm's in the Hall.  The choir and their families then enjoyed a BBQ in the Rectory garden on a beautiful afternoon, and then at Choral Evensong we had an excellent turnout and more fine music.  It was a day to remember!  Here are some photos.

Exciting times!  We’ve started making plans for our new friendly café space and play zone for pre-school children and their grown-ups, and for all members of our community to mingle and make friends.  We plan to launch in September.  Little ones and parents will be welcome to drop in and play from 9.30am to 11.30am, and there’ll be coffee for the grown-ups as well as for those who have been worshipping at the 10am Eucharist in the church.

We’ll need lots of help for this – in two teams: one team to run the toddler provision and another team to take care of the refreshments, hopefully working on a rota system.  If you’d be at all interested in helping out, please have a word with the Clergy and come along to our next planning meeting on Tuesday 17 July at 7.30pm at 4 Iris Close.  Everyone’s welcome!

Coffee & Chat • Saturday 4 August

Please join us at Coffee & Chat on Saturday 4 August from 10am.  We will be fundraising for the new Thursday morning project.  There will be a raffle, cakes, jellies and games.  Maybe plan to visit our ‘nail bar’ to have your nails painted or enter the colouring competition!  Donations of homemade produce will be most welcome.  Watch out for more news of this exciting new project to bring all ages together mid-week for worship and fellowship.

This weekend members of our Church Family have been on pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.  Nine of us were there from Friday to Sunday and four other pilgrims came for the day on Saturday or Sunday.  It was an excellent, prayerful and enriching weekend filled with laughter and friendship. Here are some photos from our time in England's Nazareth.  Click here to download the parish pilgrimage booklet.

During June St Mary’s is open until 8.30pm each day from Tuesday to Friday.  This extension of our opening hours means people can appreciate the church in the beautiful glow of the evening sun.  Come in to pray, to rest, to think, to light a candle, to sit in the Presence of Jesus at the close of the day.  On other days the church closes after Evening Prayer.  We open at 8.30am each morning and at 7.30am on Sundays. 

We had a lovely celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi in St Mary's last night. The choir sang beautifully at the Eucharist, we all joined in the great Eucharistic hymns and then enjoyed kir royal and Eton mess afterwards.