News & Events

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!)

We will say our final “goodbye” to our much loved Rector at the 9.30 service in St Mary’s on Sunday 7th April. This will be an All Age service for the whole of The Ross Parishes. There will, of course be a reception and a bring and share lunch (cold) – contributions welcome.

If you’d like to make a donation to Sean’s leaving gifts you can do that here.

If you prefer you can give cash, in an envelope labelled “Sean’s collection”, via Rachael in the office (she is on leave until Monday 11th March), any of the churchwardens or welcomers at our services, or in the general cash donations boxes in our churches.

Come and tell us about your super hero on World Book Day at Messy Church.

St Mary’s Church – after school on Thursday 7th March. Come in costume if you can.

Tell us all about your favourite characters and how your superheroes are making a difference in the world. Discover your special superpower for making a difference in the world… All for FREE!

There’s a wonderful photography exhibition in St Mary’s at the moment and we’ve extended it to 3rd March.

The great thing about so many of the pictures is that they force you to look at detail we usually miss.

The exhibition is open every day, 9am – 5pm and there’s no charge.

We are delighted that St Joseph’s show is coming to St Mary’s – for one performance only – Thursday 29th February, 6.00 pm. It’s already been performed three times at the Phoenix Theatre and is being repeated in St Mary’s by special request.

This not just another school production, it’s a highly polished and most enjoyable show performed by some highly talented and well rehearsed children. Please consider coming along.

Tickets are £6 and can be reserved by email at admin@st-josephs.hereford.sch.uk or probably bought on the door on the night (subject to availability).