St Mary Abbots is open for private prayer, Monday - Saturday from 10am - 2pm
and on Sunday from 8 am to 1pm
Please join us for Sunday services in the church HERE
Dear all
We give grateful thanks this week that many restrictions have now been lifted and we can begin a gradual return to a more normal way of life. However, we are also very aware that many of us (myself included) remain in the vulnerable categories and that we wish our SMA community to continue to be a wonderful place of safety and welcome for all. The Bishop of London has written: “This is a time of great hope and of deep uncertainty, when some are delighted with the anticipation of new freedoms and others are terrified of what that might mean … We are delighted that we shall be enjoying greater freedom within the church building and especially to think that this Sunday we shall be re-introducing congregational hymn-singing again, with an opening and closing hymn at the Eucharist and Matins, as we build back towards full congregational participation. We shall also be re-opening the West Gates and the West Doors to allow entry and exit through both the cloister and the churchyard. However, in order to do all this safely and without deterring any of our more vulnerable congregants from worshipping with us, we shall continue to use only every other pew and encourage you very strongly to use sanitiser at the door and to wear masks if possible. We shall also be establishing a dedicated zone in the South East quadrant of the church (under the lectern and near the Holland Chapel) for those who prefer to maintain a two-metre distance and wish to be confident that those around them will be fully masked throughout the service. These pews will be clearly marked; please respect the sensitivities of others. We shall also, in the first instance, continue to administer Holy Communion in one kind only (distributing the bread but not the wine). The Church of England has reiterated that this is permissible at this time and that both the Body and Blood of Christ are received even when only the host is distributed. Finally, we shall continue over the summer to say Evening Prayer online via Zoom at 5.30 pm each Sunday evening, for those who are not yet ready to return to worship in the church building. We hold in our prayers the many who will be travelling or at least enjoying a period of rest following the end of the school term this week. Saving God, open the gates of righteousness, that your pilgrim people may enter and be built into a living temple on the cornerstone of our salvation, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [The Liturgical Commission] With my love and prayers as we look forward to seeing you soon, Mother Emma 22nd July 2021 |
Virtual Donation Plate
If you would like to make a donation during our services, or at any time, we have set up an online virtual collection plate below. Click here for this week's Newsletter
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