The Ross Parishes: Ross-on-Wye, Walford & Brampton Abbotts
Inspiring faith, hope and love in each generation.
St Mary’s is pleased to be a part of WARM ROSS and has a number of events you might like this winter. Particularly, St Mary’s Hall is open on Tuesdays (9-12). Refreshments and activities are on offer, all free of charge, throughout. See https://rossparishes.uk/warm-spaces for more detail.
Don’t miss this wonderful weekend in St Mary’s. There’s no entry charge. Just come along and enjoy some wonderful art and craft.
Great coffee and home made cakes will be on offer all weekend, soup and rolls at lunch time, cakes and preserves to buy on Saturday morning. Plenty of art and crafts on sale across the whole weekend as Christmas presents. Drop in and take a look. Tell all your friends!
There’s still time to book a craft table. Please contact mark@rossparishes.uk
Don’t miss Sue’s Christmas wreath making workshop on Wednesday 23rd November, 1.30 – 4 pm, in St Mary’s Hall. There is a charge of £22 (which covers materials) which you can pay on the day.
Call Sue for information, 07442 163291.
We are hosting a service for St Michael’s Hospice next Sunday (27th November) at 6pm in St Mary’s.
Lighting a candle to commemorate a loved one is a very special thing to do, particularly at Christmas time. We invite you to join with others who have also lost someone that they love, as part of our Light up a Life celebrations this year.
There are several ways in which you can get involved in our Light up a Life activities. You can dedicate a virtual light that shines on, watch a live-streamed service at home or even hold your own event.
You’ll find more information on the service generally (though not this one specifically) on their website.
St Mary’s is pleased to be a part of WARM ROSS and has a number of events you might like this winter. Particularly, St Mary’s Hall is open on Tuesdays (9-12). Refreshments and activities are on offer, all free of charge, throughout. See https://rossparishes.uk/warm-spaces for more detail.
This year’s Remembrance Week events were put together by a partnership which included Ross Town Council, Ross & District Branch of Royal British Legion and St Mary’s Church. On behalf of these organisations, we would wish thank everyone that helped to make Remembrance 2022 so very special.
During the week a number of events were held. These including a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial in St Mary’s Churchyard, to mark the 22 Chelsea Pensioners that died in Ross during their evacuation from London during WW2. A wreath laying and commemoration led by Deputy May Cllr Bev Pope, to remember the fallen of both the Korean and Falklands Conflict, an especially poignant moment 40 years on. At this service a wonderful choir from St Joseph’s School helped to make the event especially moving. On Friday 11th November, the Armistice was marked with a short service at the Market Hall attended by Paul Deneen OBE, JP DL and Mayor Cllr Ed O’Driscoll together with Chairman and members of Ross RBL and many townspeople who stood in respectful silence as the Silence was sounded by both Bugle and Maroon.
On Remembrance Sunday, we were blessed with beautiful weather and a fantastic turnout of Serving Personnel, Veterans, Cadets from all three Services. The Prospect was filled and it was hugely moving to see so many people having a chance for a moment of silence to reflect and remember the sacrifice made by so many. This was followed by a Service in St Mary’s which included Readings and Poetry and beautiful music provided by St Mary’s Choir.
Paul Deneen OBE JP DL, said:
“As we all stand here in the Market House in the town of Ross-on-Wye, we do so in peace and safety. Can I also ask you to reflect and think about our friends in the Ukraine at this difficult time.
As part of this Remembrance day we thank all those who currently serve this country. We also remember and thank those who served and had given their ultimate sacrifice of their lives – We will always remember them.
Can I take this opportunity to also thank the Royal British Legion, The Mayor, the Ross-on-Wye Town Council, Town Clerk and staff, together with the Rector and the team at St Mary’s Church and particularly Inspiring Hope for their great support today.
Also to thank all involved with the poppy appeal, as well as thanking those responsible for the excellent display of the poppies on the Market House and around the town.
Above all – Huge thanks to the members of this community who have joined us here today, or who will be joining the remembrance events locally this Sunday at the Prospect and at the Church Service. – much appreciated“
There are many services on offer for you over the course of the next few days. These are:
The parade steps off from Old Maid’s Walk Police Station at 10.30 am – all Serving Personnel and Veterans are invited to form up at the Police Station by 10.15. To be followed by Act of Commemoration and Wreath Laying at the War Memorial on The Prospect at 10.50 am and ecumenical Remembrance Day Service at St Mary’s at 11.15 am. Refreshments will be served following the Service.
We look forward to seeing you.
A big thank you to everyone who came to our monthly Saturday morning Coffee & Cake @ St Mary’s, hosted this month by Messy Church. It was great!
Would you like to have a craft table at our Christmas h.Art and Craft Fayre in St Mary’s on Saturday 26th or Sunday 27th November. £15 per table per day. Please contact mark@rossparishes.uk
Tickets are selling very well for tonight’s concert (Saturday 22nd October at 7.30 pm). But there’s still time to get them, or you can buy on the door tonight. We’ve invited the Gwent Chamber Orchestra back to St Mary’s because they were so fantastic last year.
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/createross/t-qjjgxqm
Come and listen to Dame Kate Bingham talk about her new book The Long Shot.
The unmissable inside story of how the Vaccine Taskforce beat the odds and enabled the biggest vaccination campaign in Britain’s history – by the woman who made it happen.
Thursday 27th October at 7pm in St Mary’s Church, Ross-on-Wye
Tickets are £9 and are available online https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/vIxwkuzonEXW, from Rossiter Books or by calling 01989 654464
This event is the first in a series of book talks that is being organised jointly by The Friends of St Mary’s and Rossiter Books. Proceeds will be split between those two organisations and NMITE (Hereford’s University)
This week is baby loss awareness week. We’re holding a short service in St Mary’s on Friday at 6.45 pm.
TONIGHT – ‘SONGS of LIFE’ – poems at St Mary’s church
Saturday 8th October – Brian Jackson (well known to Ross audiences as one of the Phoenix Theatre’s award-winning directors) is giving what is believed to be a ‘first’ for St Mary’s, a charity performance of Poetry in the church. In an evening of diverse poetry reflecting Family, Childhood, and the Environment in the modern world, the underlying theme is one of optimism and love. Described as ‘Poetry with Music’ the Visuals and musical underscoring have been specially chosen to enhance the programme’s themes. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to St Mary’s.
Tickets are available online or on the night.
Join us in St Mary’s on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 11 am for a new FREE venture: Craft @ St Mary’s (with refreshments). No need to book, just come along. More from Sharn John – sharn@rossparishes.uk Starts next Wednesday (12th October).
Delicious homemade cakes, coffee and tea is on sale now, until midday in St Mary’s at our first Saturday of the month Coffee @ St Mary’s.
Tonight @ (Saturday 1st October) at 7.30 pm we welcome the Innsworth Military Wives Choir who will be giving a concert. Tickets available at the door.
Tickets £12
A choir consisting of military wives, Service women, veterans, mums and girlfriends.
The Military Wives Choirs Foundation is a network of choirs set up to bring women within the military communities closer together – through singing.
This Sunday at St Mary’s in our All Age Eucharist (9.30 am) we’ll be thinking about who has helped sow seeds of faith in us, as people of all sorts have passed on the faith through the generations…
Please think about who has helped pass on faith to you at any time in your life, and if you will be at St Mary’s on Sunday, it would be great if you could bring a picture of them with you.
Or send Caroline a picture electronically and we can print it off for you.
We will be starting a “Passing on the Faith” display at the back of church which we will finish at Messy Church next Thursday (3.30 pm in St Mary’s).
Hope to see you there!
Dear Friend.
As Sean outlined in yesterday morning’s sermon, St Mary’s has found itself in difficult financial circumstances for several years and we are committing ourselves, from today, to do something about this.
Particularly we are asking every member of our regular congregation to consider what they may be able to give to the work of their church.
You may receive a letter from us in the next few day (if not there are generic ones by the main door of the church); we ask you to consider the content seriously and to act if you are able. Be assured that the most precious gift you can give us is that of yourselves and if, after considering our appeal, you are unable to help you are still very welcome at St Mary’s. All giving details are known only to the treasurer and the giving secretary.
You’ll find all you need at https://rossparishes.uk/giving2022.
We are delighted to be welcoming back to St Mary’s the Gwent Chamber Orchestra, following their excellent concert last year. They have a wonderful programme again this time.
Saturday 22nd October – 7.30pm
Book tickets (just £10 and if you’re under 25, £5) at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/createross/t-qjjgxqm
Come and listen to Dame Kate Bingham talk about her new book The Long Shot.
The unmissable inside story of how the Vaccine Taskforce beat the odds and enabled the biggest vaccination campaign in Britain’s history – by the woman who made it happen.
Thursday 27th October at 7pm in St Mary’s Church, Ross-on-Wye
Tickets are £9 and are available online https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/select/vIxwkuzonEXW, from Rossiter Books or by calling 01989 654464
This event is the first in a series of book talks that is being organised jointly by The Friends of St Mary’s and Rossiter Books. Proceeds will be split between those two organisations and NMITE (Hereford’s University)
Come and hear Brian Jackson in St Mary’s as he reads his poetry. Saturday 8th October, 7pm.
Tickets are available online, from church or on the night.
The Ross Parishes: Ross-on-Wye, Walford & Brampton Abbotts 