St Mary the Virgin Wellingborough

'Whose Presence, Power, is Great'

2012-03-03T16:29:00.002Z

The Bishop of Ebbsfleet kindly agreed to lead our Lent Study Day on 'Our Lady in Poetry and Prose' and about twenty-five of us gathered to listen to an excellent presentation which ranged from medieval lyrics to Elizabeth Jennings and Edwin Muir.

First Baptism of the Year

2012-02-19T20:14:00.001Z

Leanne, I baptize you in the name of the Father...

When the Snow Lay Round About...

2012-02-05T12:36:00.002Z

Deep, and Crisp, and Even...

Parish Burns Night

2012-02-04T12:39:00.001Z

Some hae meat and canna eat
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

Forty or so of the parish community enjoyed haggis and a wee dram at the Parish Burns Night last week!

The New Year 2012

2012-01-23T14:00:00.000Z

Some dates for your diary.

Friday, 3 February:
A Parish 'Burns Night' Celebration.

Ash Wednesday, 22 February:
6.30pm. Sung Mass with Imposition of Ashes.

Lent Study Day, Saturday 3 March:
10.30am. 'Our Lady in Poetry and Prose' with the Bishop of Ebbsfleet.

Jumble Sale, Saturday, 17 March:
10.00am. Jumble Sale.

Palm Sunday, 1 April:
10.25am. Procession of Palms from Vicarage and Sung Mass.
6.00pm. Stations of the Cross.

Maundy Thursday, 5 April:
6.30pm. Sung Mass, Procession and Watch at the Altar of Repose.

Good Friday, 6 April:
3.00pm. Liturgy of the Lord's Passion.

Holy Saturday, 7 April:
8.00pm. The Easter Vigil.

Easter Day, 8 April:
10.30am. Sung Mass and Maria Consolata.

Saturday, 14 April:
10.00am. Book Sale.

May Devotion, Sunday, 6 May:
10.30am. Procession OLW and Sung Mass.

Corpus Christi, Sunday, 10 June:
10.30am. Sung Mass, Procession and Benediction.

Saturday, 16 June:
7.30pm Organ Recital.

Saturday, 30 June:
Summer Market.

Sunday, 1 July:
Sunday School Picnic.

Sunday, 15 July:
The Bishop of Richborough celebrates and preaches at the Sung Mass.
Parish Lunch.

Assumption BVM, Sunday, 12 August:
10.30am. Sung Mass.

A Very Happy Christmas

2011-12-25T07:44:00.000Z

from the Crib at St Mary's Wellingborough.

Advent and Christmas Service Times

2011-12-18T19:53:00.000Z

Mon - Fri, 19 - 23 Dec: No Masses.

Christmas Eve: Midnight Mass at 11.30pm.

Christmas Day: Sung Mass at 10.30am.

Mon - Sat, 26 - 31 Dec: Mass daily at 9.30am.

New Year's Day, 1 Jan: Sung Mass at 10.30am.

Mon - Tue, 2 - 3 Jan: No Mass.

Normal services and times from Wednesday, 4 Jan 2012.

Confirmation 2011

2011-12-13T17:24:00.000Z

We welcomed the Bishop of Richborough to St Mary's on Christ the King Sunday and six candidates were confirmed. Members of the choir of Trinity College Cambridge provided the music (plainsong, Mozart and Howells) and a splendid lunch for seventy followed. A Liturgy of the Word, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Solemn Benediction rounded things off nicely.

Coming Soon

2011-11-16T11:04:00.001Z

Christ the King. The Bishop of Richborough will visit St Mary's this Sunday, 20 November. Sung Mass with Confirmation at 10.30am; Parish Lunch; Sermon, Procession Ssmi and Solemn Benediction at 2.30pm.

Advent Market. Saturday, 26 November, 11.00am - 2.00pm. Stalls, Refreshments, Lunches.

Lessons and Carols. Including the Sunday School's Nativity Celebration, on Sunday, 18 December, at 4.00pm. Mince pies to follow.

Christmas. Midnight Mass begins on Christmas Eve at 11.30pm and is celebrated by candlelight. Sung Mass on Christmas Day at 10.30am.

Remembrance Sunday

2011-11-16T10:57:00.001Z

The Parish War Memorial

Field of Poppies from the Sunday School

Edward Mannock VC, DSO, MC

Coming Soon

2011-09-30T13:44:00.000+01:00

Book Sale on Saturday, 1 October, from 10.00am. Thousands of volumes together with DVDs, CDs, videos and games. Refreshments will be available as well.

Consesnsus Vocalis concert on Friday, 7 October, at 7.30pm. Free entry with a retiring collection and refreshments.

Anniversary of Dedication. Procession and Sung Mass on Sunday, 23 October, at 10.30am. Preacher: Fr Darren Smith SSC, General Secretary of the Additional Curates Society. There will be a drinks reception after Mass.

The Organ

2011-09-29T12:58:00.000+01:00

Recently we completed a very successful Organ Project in which £100,000 was raised and a complete renovation of the original 1914 Hill instrument was undertaken. An Inaugural Recital was given by James O'Donnell, Organist of Westminster Abbey.

For many years St Mary's has sponsored an Organ Scholar scheme and we have been pleased to see our young people make much of the skills they have honed during their time at St Mary's. Our most recent 'graduate' is presently Organ Scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. We have a team of enthusiastic organists who play at the Parish Mass and we offer a popular series of summer organ recitals.

For more information please contact:

Roger Smith

(01933) 226908

rogerdiana5@yahoo.co.uk

Children and Young People

2011-09-29T12:51:00.000+01:00

St Mary's Sunday School meets each week during the Parish Mass and is supervised by enthusiastic and experienced leaders. Summer picnics, Christmas parties, and coach outings to attractions like London Zoo, Legoland and the seaside are also part of our annual programme.

We have a good relationship with the Shrine at Walsingham and take our youngsters there each year. Children are prepared for Confirmation during their first year at secondary school.

St Mary's has a Child Protection Policy and all those who come into regular contact with our children and young people have received child protection training and hold a current CRB Clearance.

About the Church

2011-09-28T08:08:00.001+01:00

In the words of the Twentieth Century Society, St Mary's is the 'undisputed Meisterwerk' of the well-known architect, Sir Ninian Comper and 'the interior literally brings you to your knees. Here we have the elements of expansive rood, powerful ciborium, gorgeous painting and gilding and superb stained glass'.

Begun in 1906, the building of the church continued into the 1930s and it has long been a Grade One Listed Building. The rich decoration of the interior and its palpable atmosphere of devotion and prayer make a great impact on the many visitors that we are pleased to welcome year by year. John Julius Norwich described St Mary's like this:

'All is confidence and conviction, the work of a man who was not afraid to take one gigantic breath of all he knew about architecture and all he felt about God, and let it all out together in one great bellow of praise.'

Why not come and see for yourself?

Visit Us

2011-09-27T19:14:00.000+01:00

St Mary's stands on the corner of Elsden Road and Knox Road and is just a few minutes' walk from the railway station. There is ample parking in the churchyard and the postcode for those using satellite navigation is NN8 1HU.

The church is not usually kept open outside of daily service times, so in order to avoid disappointment please contact us before making a journey. There are several local keyholders, including:

Jackie Cartwright
(01933) 226197

Michael Drew or Lesley Campton
28 St Mary's Paddock
(01933) 277407

Brother Robert Pipes OGS
26 St Mary's Paddock
(01933) 276110

Click on the map to see fullsize