WelcomeAs the parish priest, I welcome you warmly to the parish family of St Mary’s. This website aims to give you a flavour of our life together, although it can be no substitute for paying us a visit.
St Mary’s is a Church of England parish church drawing upon the rich resources of the catholic tradition. We are entering an exciting phase in the life of our church as we seek to reach out to the community. Our services are joyful and dignified, enabling us to encounter the mystery of God. We now have a flourishing Junior Church and mixed choir as well as a range of other activities for all to share in.
There is clearly a spiritual hunger and a need for space to explore and question. I believe that what we are offering is the opportunity for seasoned travellers and beginners alike to discover the depths of the spiritual life. Together we are exploring a way of living which is inspired by joyful worship, takes seriously the interior life, the challenges of peace-making and building an inclusive community .
Enjoy surfing the website. It will be updated weekly, so do return to it frequently. Please contact us if you would like further information or if we can be of service.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
With my love and prayers,
Father Louis Darrant
Take a while to sit in St Mary’s, absorbing the spiritual atmosphere generated by the calm simplicity of these ancient walls. Perhaps you will be reminded of St Cedd, who was sent here by King Oswiu of Northumberland to convert the East Saxons to Christianity.
Cedd travelled by ship down the east coast, landing in Essex in 653. He quickly established his Othona community at Bradwell-on-Sea and the following year was consecrated first bishop of Essex.
Cedd preached at his first Midnight Mass in Essex here in St Mary's. You may well be sitting, as the hymn has it "where the saints have trod." In 654, Cedd built his cathedral, dedicated to St Peter, on the site of an old Roman fort at Bradwell. This building, possibly the oldest Christian building in the country, still witnesses to the Gospel of the Risen Lord.
If you are making a pilgrimage to St Cedd’s church (now St Peter’s Chapel, Bradwell), why not pause a while here in St Mary’s to reflect on Cedd’s own pilgrimage and mission?
Here we try to practise the generous Gospel of Jesus Christ. This means you may be mixing with seekers, searchers, those who limp and those who mourn, refugees, asylum seekers, women bishops (yes, there are a few), leaders who are worn out, lesbian and gay couples—even singles, |
the wealthy who are trying to get through the eye of the needle, the emotionally deprived and harmed, people of other faiths, those rejected by ministers and their churches, those who have broken their promises, those bowed down with burdens, those who teeter on the brink of breakdown, those for whom the grip of alcohol or work, |
those struggling with faith and doubt, and goodness knows how many others... indeed, anyone who is like those Jesus mixed with. This is not a private club And though we are not yet strong and vulnerable enough Welcome. With acknowledgement to St Columba House, Woking and the Rev. Jim Cotter |
