The Ross Parishes: Ross-on-Wye, Walford & Brampton Abbotts
Inspiring faith, hope and love in each generation.
Before we get too deep into Christmas, here’s a bit of forward planning for you with an opportunity to think of Epiphany and Candlemas in The Ross Parishes. Perhaps you’d like to Come, Sing & Sup with us on Sunday 11th January?
Save the dates!
Michael Lunts will be performing at the Christmas Tree Festival today.
It’s really two for the price of one: a great concert and the tree festival. The concert begins at 1.30. There are tickets to be had on the door (just £10). We look forward to seeing you.
On Monday 1st December at 1.30pm, Michael Lunts will go Christmas Crackers amongst the trees of St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival. His satirical take on Christmas customs will have you laughing as you sit back and enjoy a performance of songs from the likes of Donald Swann, Tom Lehrer, Noel Coward and Jake Thackray together with seasonal offerings from Ogden Nash and John Betjeman. Tickets are £10 and include entry to the Festival and a discount on the soup lunch (served from 12.30pm) or tea and cake following the performance. Tickets online at https://rossparishes.uk/news/christmas-tree-festival-2025/
It is with deep sadness that we have to report the death of Gerald Altree. Gerald has been in our thoughts and prayers for some time and died yesterday, following a heart attack (Sunday 16th November). We continue to pray for Gerald and for Pam, Kate and Glen and their families at this sad time.
Gerald has been a very active member of the community at St Mary’s and around the town for many decades. He has served on the Deanery Synod for some time and was churchwarden in the 1990s. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to him and to Pam.
Details of Gerald’s funeral will be shared here in due course.
Tracey Jane Bell, a member of our congregation, is collecting teddy bears and soft toys to send to children with special needs in Zimbabwe (Community Action Trust UK reg charity no. 1183951). She needs them by next Sunday, 23rd November to be shipped on 24th. If you have any new teddies or soft toys you would like to donate, please bring them to St Mary’s on Sunday or leave them at the Welcome Desk. Thank you. www.communact.org.
The Four Last Things – Heaven, Hell, Death and Judgement – Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for Jesus the infant, coming to live a human life, but we also wait for Christ the Judge,
coming to reward and punish. On the Sundays in and around Advent, Kelvin Price, Emily Goy and John Davies will help us to explore these ancient beliefs in our modern world. Come to listen, ponder, ask questions if you wish. All meetings take place in St Mary’s Church Hall from 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm – tea from 3.30 pm.
More information from David.
One of the highlights of St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival will be a Friday evening concert by the professional Orchestra of the Swan. All in the magical setting of St Mary’s illuminated by the light of many trees. It will also be your first chance to see the festival.
Friday 28th November, 7.00pm
Tickets are just £15 (£5 for those under 18) the price rises to £18 on the door, on the night.
The Orchestra of the Swan perform over 45 concerts per year in collaboration with distinguished guest conductors and solo artists, bringing the music of the world’s most celebrated composers to our loyal and evolving audiences.
Midwinter’s musical pendulum swings between the ancient and the contemporary, the religious and the secular, the familiar and the unknown. This is a tapestry of music woven from works spanning the 12th century to the present day, illustrating the richness and enduring allure of midwinter’s musical traditions.
Programme:
Corelli Christmas Concerto
Anon arr. Le Page Nowell Tydings Trew
Anon arr. Le Page Coventry Carol
Purcell arr. Le Page Now Winter Comes Slowly
Anon arr. Le Page Noel 1
The Pogues arr. Le Page Fairytale of New York
Vivaldi L’inverno ‘Winter’ RV 297 i. Allegro non molto
Holst/Le Page Midwinter
Anon arr. Le Page Ríu Ríu Chíu
Goss/Le Page See Amid the Winter’s Snow
Anon arr. Le Page The Snow Melts the Soonest
Liszt arr. Le Page The Shepherds in the Manger
Vivaldi L’inverno ‘Winter’ RV 297 iii. Allegro
Anon arr. Le Page O Little Town of Bethlehem
Our Big Quiz for Tearfund is next Saturday 15th November starting at 7pm. Have you booked yet? Have you found your team mates?
Join us – Book here (we can put you in a team if you wish) at St Mary’s for an evening of fun. Bring a snack to share and make a donation to Tearfund – more opportunities for this on the night too!
Join us on Saturday, 1st November for a service sung by St Mary’s occasional choir, Round Byrd. Music by 20th century composers and including William Harris’s masterpiece, Faire is the Heaven.
The service starts at 5pm and will last about 45 minutes.
There are many services on offer for you over the course of the Remembrance season in The Ross Parishes. They are:
The parade steps off from Old Maid’s Walk Police Station – all Serving Personnel and Veterans are invited to form up at the Police Station by 10.00. 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.
Booking (free) is now available for this.
Please book in to help us with arrangements.
Join us this Saturday 18th October for a fun evening with The Dancing Mister. Step back in time as Tim Walker shows us dances of Medieval Europe. You don’t need to be fit, you can have two left feet or you can be waiting for your invitation to dance on “Strictly”. Everyone can enjoy this evening which also includes a Medieval style cold buffet.
Tickets are just £10 (£2 for children) in advance (£12 on the night). A bargain!
All proceeds to St Mary’s.
Nathaniel Morgan was an important figure in Ross in the first half of the 19th Century. 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of his birth. To mark that, Ross Civic Society and Virginia Morgan (no relation) have created a small exhibition that you’ll find at the back of Ross Church until 6th November.
You can learn even more by downloading Virginia’s Pink Publication (number 7) from the Ross Civic Society website. https://rosscivic.org.uk/publications
| The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London |
| Friday 3rd October 2025 |
| His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The 106th Archbishop of Canterbury since Saint Augustine arrived in Kent from Rome in 597, Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office. She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral on 25th March 2026. Sarah Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, the first woman to hold that role, and previously served as the Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37 – having previously specialised as a cancer nurse. Bishop Sarah has described nursing as “an opportunity to reflect the love of God”. Bishop Sarah said: “As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager. “At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing. “I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions. “And I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion. “I know this is a huge responsibility, but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has.” The Rt Revd Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford said, “I am delighted to welcome Bishop Sarah as the first female Archbishop in the history of the Church of England. Sarah brings a wealth of experience from her nursing career and a profound pastoral heart which she has demonstrated consistently in caring for those with many different views in the Diocese of London. As the only Diocese in the Church of England where no churches have passed motions to restrict womens’ priestly ministry, we are delighted to welcome her as our Archbishop and look forward to her first visit. Personally, in my role as Clerk of the Closet, I look forward to presenting her to His Majesty to pay homage in February. This is an extraordinarily demanding role and she will need our prayers and support which we gladly offer to her and her family.“ |
| Following the announcement, the next stage of the appointment process is the Election by the College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral, which will take place before Christmas. On 28th January 2026, there will be a Confirmation of Election at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, at which Bishop Sarah will legally become the Archbishop of Canterbury. On 25th March 2026, there will be an Installation (sometimes referred to as an ‘enthronement’) at Canterbury Cathedral. You can read more here. |
Tomorrow (Wednesday 1st October) we welcome back Ruth Cartledge for our next First Wednesday @ 1 free recital. The concert will last about 45 minutes.
We look forward to seeing you.
Do you know a child who likes to sing, who perhaps enjoys a bit of drama? Then please encourage them to come along on Saturday 27th September at 2pm, to St Mary’s Church in Ross-on-Wye, where we’re running a Taster Day for children aged 7 or older who might like to join our vibrant Youth Choir.
More information at https://rossparishes.uk/youth-choir
Do you know a child who likes to sing, who perhaps enjoys a bit of drama? Then please encourage them to come along on Saturday 27th September at 2pm, to St Mary’s Church in Ross-on-Wye, where we’re running a Taster Day for children aged 7 or older who might like to join our vibrant Youth Choir.
More information at https://rossparishes.uk/youth-choir
This weekend is your last chance to come and enjoy the wonderful experience that is h.Art @ St Mary’s. 16 artists all under one glorious roof with great food available all weekend. A great space to unwind. Come along and see us.
While you’re in town don’t miss the other venues in Ross. Full details at https://h-art.org.uk
There are a few more workshops this weekend –
Full details of workshops and booking at https://rossparishes.uk/h-art
We’re open 10am – 5pm on Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday.
Nina Oakman is running a glass designing workshop at 2.00pm.
Full details and booking is at https://rossparishes.uk/h-art
The food is attracting many compliments at h.Art @ St Mary’s. The splendid work of our 16 artists makes St Mary’s a great place to be this week. Why not join us for lunch?
Nina Oakman is running a glass designing workshop at 2.00pm.
Full details and booking is at https://rossparishes.uk/h-art
h.Art is in full swing at St Mary’s, in Ross. Delicious homemade refreshments are on sale throughout the week. Why not pop in for coffee, lunch or tea?
Today (Wednesday 10th) at 10.30am you can take part in an Organic Sculpting workshop with Wendy Healey or at 2.30, design water colour cards and bookmarks with Vanessa Rhead.
Full details and booking is at https://rossparishes.uk/h-art
The Ross Parishes: Ross-on-Wye, Walford & Brampton Abbotts 