Christmas Blessings

From the Crib at St Mary's Wellingborough.

Crib Visit

It was good to welcome Charlotte and her 'crew' to St Mary's for a Crib Visit this morning.

Carol Service and Nativity Play

Many thanks to the children and young people of St Mary's Sunday School, together with 'staff', parents and helpers who made this year's Nativity Play such a success.

New Year's Day

Parish Christmas Lunch

A foggy day in Northamptonshire did nothing to dampen the spirits of 

thirty-three St Mary's stalwarts who enjoyed an excellent meal at the Samuel Pepys Inn in Slipton.

Christmas Services

Sun, 20 Dec
Carol Service with Nativity Play at 4.00pm.

Thurs, 24 Dec
Mass at 9.30am.
Confessions at 10.00am.
Midnight Mass at 11.30pm.

Fri, 25 Dec
Sung Mass at 10.30am.

Sun, 27 Dec (Holy Family)
Sung Mass at 10.30am.

No Mass on Mon, 28th or Tues, 29th.  
All remaining Masses this week at 9.30am.  No evening services.

Sun, 3 Jan (Epiphany)
Sung Mass at 10.30am.

No public services at all: 4 Jan - 9 Jan.

Normal service times resume from Sun, 10 Jan.

Seasonal Entertainments

A Christmas Festival, Saturday, 19 Dec, 7.30pm.
Music, Poetry and Song, Sacred and Secular.
With Director of Music, Lee Dunleavy.

Music for a New Year, Friday, 1 Jan, 11.00am.
An Organ Recital with Ivan Linford.

We Will Remember Them

The Sunday School's display for Remembrance Sunday.

Diamond Jubilee

A celebration of sixty years in priestly ministry is a rare event indeed.  We were thrilled that Canon Hilary Davidson was able to celebrate his Diamond Jubilee Mass at St Mary's on Saturday, 3 October, in the presence of the Bishop of Richborough (who preached) and the Bishop of Brixworth (who gave the final blessing), twenty or so clergy from near and far, and a church full of friends and supporters.  The occasion was made especially notable by the presence of one of St Mary's old lags, Father Matthew Robinson, who deaconed the Mass, having been ordained a week before in Rochester Cathedral.

Organ Recital

A Weekend with Our Lady

On Saturday forty of us set out on the coach to visit Our Lady in Walsingham.  Later in the afternoon the coach went on to Wells for the Pirate Festival!

And on Sunday the image of OLW was carried in procession around the church at the beginning of the Parish Mass.  Father Darren Smith (General Secretary of the Additional Curates Society) preached an excellent homily for us.

Organ Recital

Our next Coffee Morning Organ Recital will take place on Saturday, 12 September, at 11.00am. Entrance is free with a retiring collection.

August Timetable

Sunday Mass as usual.
Weekday Masses at usual times on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday ONLY.
No Wednesday Confessions or Friday Rosary..

Normal service will be resumed in September.

At the Coalface of Ministry

Bishop Norman spent the day with us in Wellingborough - a day which included a tour of the parish, pub lunch, home communions, a visit to the Isebrook Hospital and to Wellingborough's excellent Christian bookshop, Amazing Grace; then tea at the vicarage, a meeting in the parish priest's study, hearing a confession, Evening Prayer, and Mass with a homily.  Thank you Father, for your time and encouragement.

Parish Mass With Our Bishop

Thank you to Bishop Norman for a splendid celebration and excellent homily today.

A Parish Family Baptism

Congratulations to Adam and Elaine whose son, James, was baptized at St Mary's recently.

Another Successful Book Sale

The Director of Operations, hard at work!

Recital

Coming Soon

Saturday, 4 July: Book Sale in church from 10.00am.
Wednesday, 8 July: Parish Pub Lunch.
Saturday, 18 July: Coffee Morning and Organ Recital from 11.00am.
Sunday, 19 July: Parish Mass with the Bishop of Richborough.

Summer Fete

The weather was not kind to us this year and the fete was held in the nave of the church, but spirits were not dampened, numbers held up well, there was plenty of cake, and about £1000 was raised for church funds.  Many thanks to all workers and supporters!

Sweet Sacrament Divine

Today's Parish Mass was followed by a Eucharistic Procession and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  Some of our children provided a Guard of Honour and a carpet of flowers.

Rowangate School Visit

Dear Mother of Our Saviour Christ

Twenty pilgrims made the journey from Wellingborough to Walsingham
this year.

Concert

Resurrexi

Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum, alleluia, it says below the statue of the Risen Christ on our high altar baldacchino: 'I have risen and I am still with you, alleluia' - the opening words of the Entrance Antiphon on Easter Sunday.  He is risen indeed, alleluia.

Chrism Mass

The sisters enjoy their lunch after the last of the Richborough Area Chrism Masses.

Richard III

St Mary's has a set of six fine wrought-iron candlesticks.  Here they are in use at a funeral in church:

We are proud that they are presently on loan to Leicester Cathedral and in place around the mortal remains of Richard III.

Holy Week 2015

PALM SUNDAY
10.30am Blessing of Palms and Sung Mass

MONDAY IN HOLY WEEK
6.30pm Mass

TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
5.30pm Confessions
6.30pm Mass

WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
6.30pm Mass

MAUNDY THURSDAY
6.30pm Sung Mass in Cena Domini
7.30pm Watch at the Altar of Repose
9.45pm Compline & End of Watch

GOOD FRIDAY
11.00am Stations of the Cross
11.30am Confessions
3.00pm Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord

HOLY SATURDAY
No Easter Vigil at St Mary's Wellingborough because of the ongoing works in church. We look forward to joining Fr James and the people of St Mary's Kettering for their Vigil at 8.00pm.

Alma Mater

It was very good to visit St Stephen's House yesterday and to see 'our' seminarian, Matthew, and his delightful family in such good spirits.  Our Lady of Knock was invoked at the Mass of S. Patrick this morning, as is the custom in Anglican theological colleges...

Children's Society Coffee Morning

Oooh, thank you Father. I'll have one of those!

Via Crucis

We walked and prayed the Stations of the Cross after Mass this evening.

Holy Week in the Holy Land

Our Lent Study Day saw twenty-two of the faithful gather in St Mary's Lecture Room for a fascinating set of talks, videos and discussion - all under the expert and entertaining leadership of Father Ben Drury, presently Curate in Stony Stratford.  In the final photograph of the series we were considering the matter of mitres...

Ad Multos Annos

Congratulations to Maurice, whose party to celebrate his ninetieth birthday came as a complete surprise to him - and to Ruby.  And well done to the seventy-plus guests who all managed to keep the secret!

A Bishop for Burnley...

...and good news for the whole Church of England.

Local Community

Father Robert and members of St Mary's congregation were pleased to join in the celebration of India Republic Day at the Hindu Community Centre in Highfield Road.

Miracle Maker

Some of our recently confirmed youngsters spent this afternoon at the Vicarage and watched the film Miracle Maker.

Works Begin

We Three Kings