St Mary Abbots’ church building may be closed, but the St Mary Abbots church community continues strong in faith and fellowship. With technology we continue to pray for one another’s needs and to share each other’s hopes and fears.
For further information about what we do here, please find the relevant contact
For further information about what we do here, please find the relevant contact
Dear all
I do hope that everyone remains safe and well, and able to enjoy this amazing weather to some extent, even if just through open windows! Yesterday was the Feast of the Ascension, as we remembered the risen Christ ascending into heaven, having spent forty days here on earth after his Resurrection, teaching and encouraging his disciples. It seems very hard to believe that it has already been forty days since Easter, which came so early on in the lockdown. Yesterday should also have been the Confirmation Service for a number of candidates from both St Mary Abbots and our neighbouring parish, St Philip's, Earl's Court Road. Instead, we met last night with the Bishop and the candidates via Zoom, to chat and to pray for them on their continuing Christian journey. Please do keep them in your prayers at this time. We look forward very much to being able to hold the Confirmation Service before too, too long! As I shall be saying in my sermon this Sunday, in other years there has been a service from the Tower for Ascension Day, as we prayed for and blessed the parish. Due to the new rule that a single clergy person can now enter and film in church, Fr Jonathan ventured alone up the tower and you will see the result, and the parts of the service which he also filmed in church in our "Holy Eucharist for Ascensiontide" this Sunday. It is good to be reminded that St Mary Abbots continues as a House of God, and awaits our return! Before his Ascension, Jesus promised his disciples that God would send them the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, just ten days later. These days are traditionally days when Christians pray for the coming of the Spirit, and you will see in our newsletter on the website, ideas for prayer for the coming days. Your clergy will be holding you especially in our hearts at this time, asking that the Holy Spirit may protect, comfort and inspire us all. "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia!" With love and prayers Mother Emma 
NEW CURATE
We are very excited to report that our new Curate in Training, Alice Ormondroyd, will be moving in next week. She has just finished her theological studies, and will complete her formation as a priest here in the parish, learning from all that St Mary Abbots has to offer, but also bringing to us the fresh eyes and recent theological insight of someone newly ordained. Sadly for Alice who was supposed to have been ordained on 4th July, the Ordinations for this year have been postponed until the end of September, but Alice will be licensed to preach, teach, lead non-Eucharistic services and offer pastoral care in the parish over the summer, so we will get to know her first through our online services, and then as, God willing, the church re-opens. In September, she will be made Deacon, and then next summer, ordained to the Priesthood, after which she will serve with us for a further two years. It is a great joy and privilege for us as a parish to be able to share in and contribute to this process. I shall ask Alice to write something about her own faith journey once she has arrived, but in the meantime, I can share with you that Alice is married to Cain, a barrister who has his own church connection as Chancellor of the Diocese of Winchester. She has two sons - Arthur, who will be joining Reception class at St Mary Abbots School in September, and Robin, who will be at nursery nearby. Alice has wide experience as an RE teacher and commissioned lay chaplain at two C of E secondary schools in London, and she brings gifts in choral and chamber music, so will have much to offer us both in our church worship and our community life. She has been training at St Mellitus College in Earls Court, and serving on a placement at St Saviour's, Wendell Park. I look forward very much to introducing her to you in person! 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. |
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"Transforming St Mary Abbots" is a fundraising project, for works to the fabric of the building, which operates within the PCC of St Mary Abbots, a Registered Charity : Number 1132235