News & Events

Tonight (Wednesday 22nd May), in St Mary’s, the Dean of Hereford, The Very Reverend Sarah Brown, is giving a talk based on a book by her mother, a Holocaust survivor. Just come along to church at 7pm – tickets are £5 on the door.

And on Friday (24th May), We have a joint Rossiter Books / Friends of St Mary’s book talk by Brighton and Hove MP Caroline Lucas. Many tickets have been sold but there are still some remaining (£9 with £3 back on the book purchase) https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rossiterbooks/t-qjkmzen

The Wye River Festival may well be over but you can find out everything you ever needed to know about the river on a display by the Woolhope Club, in St Mary’s until the end of May.

Pop in and enjoy peace and tranquility as you learn.

https://www.woolhopeclub.org.uk/

Saturday, 12th May – 9.30am – 1.00pm

Join us for an exciting in-person teaching event at St Mary’s Ross-on-Wye. This event is all about strengthening our Christian faith and building confidence. Whether you’re new to the faith or have been a believer for years, this event is for you!

Bishop Richard will lead the teaching sessions, sharing valuable insights and practical tips to help us grow in our Christian faith. You’ll be able to engage in meaningful discussions, ask questions, and connect with fellow Christians.

At this event, we’ll explore various aspects of our Christian faith, including understanding the Bible, deepening our prayer life, and overcoming doubts. Together, we’ll learn how to live out our faith and share it with others confidently.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to strengthen your Christian journey. Mark your calendars and join us in Ross for an uplifting and enriching experience. See you there!

This is a free event but please book in advance: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bishops-teaching-event-growing-confidence-in-our-christian-faith-tickets-773031075757

Tomorrow (Thursday 9th May) is Ascension Day. Across the world the church will celebrate Christ’s elevation as the King of Glory. In the Ross Parishes our celebrations will centre on a Eucharist at 7.30pm in St Mary’s.  The bells will ring, a drinks party is planned, and the preacher is our very own Professor David Thomas.  We have also invited friends from other churches in Ross who will take a part. And besides all that, glorious music for Ascension-tide has been chosen.

There will also be a Eucharist at 10am as usual, at St Mary’s.

All are invited to keep the feast!

Join us tomorrow (Wednesday 8th May) as Heather Hurley leads a guided and informative walk along part of the John Kyrle Walk. This is a FREE event, organised jointly by St Mary’s Church and the Ross and District Civic Society. Meet at St Mary’s at 2.30.

This is a reasonably gentle walk, but decent footwear is advisable as some of the ground is quite moist.

There will also be an opportunity to be one of the first to buy a copy of Jon Hurley’s recently republished, limited edition book, “In Search of John Kyrle, The Man of Ross”

Calling all singers! Our next Come, Sing & Sup is an evensong for Pentecost on 19^th May (4pm rehearsal for 6pm service, followed by supper)

We’d love to see you – full details and booking are at https://rossparishes.uk/come-sing

Supper is filling up rather fast.

Join us tomorrow (Wednesday 1st May) for the second in our series of FREE lunchtime concerts. This month we welcome Ruth, Georgina, Pippa and Jane who are the Northwick Consort with a great programme of baroque chamber music.

As with all these events, this is an informal concert, please come along with your lunch as soon as you like and feel free to eat it before or during the concert. There are several food outlets on High Street, all ready to offer you a good deal on something delicious. Please support them.

Our First Wednesdays @ 1 lunchtime concert series continues on Wednesday 1st May with the Northwick Consort.

Our first concert in April was enjoyed by a large crowd and judged a tremendous success. Join us any time from noon, for this, or any other concerts in the series, with your lunch and enjoy a perfect midweek break in your week.

It was a huge delight for St Mary’s Adult Choir to sing evensongs all over the deanery last summer. Between now and September we’re doing it again. Please come and join us on our tour.

This evening (Sunday 21st April) we are singing the service at Pencoyd at 6pm. Here are directions: Google map link | HR2 8JY| ///armrest.repair.campfires

Next week we’re on the Brockhampton Estate (near Bromyard) in Brockhampton Chapel.

Evensong is one of the delights of the Church of England, a service largely unchanged since it first appeared in 1549. What better to come and enjoy it in some of the churches around (and a bit beyond) our Deanery.

The staff at the cathedral in Bahrain have confirmed that Sean Semple’s consecration and enthronement as Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf will be live streamed. We will be screening that in St Mary’s. The service start at 4.00pm (our time) on Friday 24th May. All are invited to join us.

If you can’t manage that, some of it happens all over again in Cyprus on Saturday 22nd June. More on that to follow.

Or of course, you can attend in person!

Join us tomorrow (Sunday 7th April) as we say goodbye to Sean, Jenny and Lex as Sean takes his last service in St Mary’s. The service begins at 9.30 (and is likely to be a packed house) and continues with presentations, with a bring and share lunch at around midday. Join us for any part of it.

There’s still time to donate to Sean’s leaving gifts. You can do that here: https://givealittle.co/c/aAteqq6EuAHLHweHDxVyB

Join us to celebrate Easter Day at St Mary’s and Walford at 9.30am. The flowers in St Mary’s Easter garden were made by residents of Westbank Residential Home and children from Messy Church while the trees were made by children from five local primary schools who joined our “Experience Easter”.

Join us in St Mary’s Churchyard for the great Easter egg hunt at 10.45 on Easter Day. Coffee and Easter cheer available in church when you’re done. Everyone is welcome. We ask that you take only one egg so that as many people as possible can have a chance. (Marco the cat is not involved, he just photobombed the picture!)

And of course, you’re welcome to join us before that, at 9.30 in church (or at Walford) for our great Easter Celebration.

And don’t forget to change your clocks or you’ll be too late!

Happy Easter!

We begin our summer concert series, First Wednesdays @ 1 on Wednesday 3rd April with a concert by Chase Baroque.

Join us for this, or any other concerts in the series, with your lunch and enjoy a perfect midweek break to your week.

This week is Holy Week, the most important in the Christian calendar, churches and cathedrals throughout the world will be offering the usual wide range of emotion in their services in against some of the best architectural backdrops available.

This is what’s on offer in The Ross Parishes. We hope to see you some time. Full details at https://rossparishes.uk/easter-2024

God of compassion
You suffer with every victim of terror and war
Grant to those who have died, eternal rest;
To the wounded, medical care and healing;
To leaders, wisdom and an irenic spirit
And to those who commit terrible acts of violence
Justice, repentance, and their own healing.
We ask this, in the name of the Prince of Peace, 
Christ Jesus. Amen.

Gracious God,
we pray for the continued recovery of the Princess of Wales,
for her husband, and for their family.
Grant to them,
and all who are affected by sickness,
faith, hope and the knowledge of your love,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

It was great to be able to wish Colin a belated Happy Birthday at the team meeting. He was 80 on Monday. It’s good to see his diary there, perhaps indicating that he’s not planning on stopping any time soon. And a local touch to the card (even the bottle!)