Gallery

Patronal Festival

It was a great joy and privilege to welcome the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, who presided and preached at this special Festal Choral Eucharist, celebrating our Patronal, the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and closed the 150th Celebrations for the consecration of our church designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Bishop Sarah blessed our new internal wheelchair area and the foundations of the South Door ramp, the first parts of our access project to increase our welcome to all. We were honoured to be joined by Pablo Blackwood, Deputy Lieutenant for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and The Worshipful Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Cllr Pretty Hudd. After the service the congregation were invited to continue the celebrations with a lunch in the vicarage garden.

Father Evan joins the team at St Mary Abbots

Fr Evan was licensed by the Bishop of Kensington on Tuesday 29th August and will be making his Declarations, witnessed by the churchwardens, during the notices at the end of the 9.30 Eucharist on Sunday 3rd of September. Father Evan writes:
"I am excited to join the team at St Mary Abbots. Having served in a parish and as a hospital chaplain in the City of London as well as curate in a Lincolnshire market town, I relish the challenges and joys that will come from working in the parish. I am looking forward to sharing hospitality and taking the time to get to know you all. "
On the following Sunday he received his licence from the church Wardens.

Father Christopher's leaving Services and Farewell Party

On 16th July we said our official goodbye to Fr Christopher at both our Eucharist and Matin's service. Although he is not leaving until August for his new role as Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Saint Paul, Minnesota, we wanted everyone to have an opportunity to say farewell before the holidays. The Services were followed by a party in the garden and our thanks to all those who brought contributions to the lunch - it resulted in quite a feast.

London Climate Action Week

We held a special 9.30 Family Eucharist on creation with our children’s choir and at 11.15 welcomed the Revd Dr Andrew Bowyer, Dean of Divinity at Magdalen College, Oxford. This week we also were given our Rocha Bronze Eco Church Award, thanks to Mother Alice’s hard work on a full environmental report on our worship and teaching, as well as a more practical look at our parish buildings, identifying ways in which we can work to reduce waste, and use the land around the church and centre to show biodiversity.

The Friends of St Mary Abbots presenting a cheque for £50,000
towards the access Ramp Project

and grateful thanks were expressed to Nigel Grieve on his retirement at Treasurer to the Friends

Rocha Bronze Eco Church Award

Summer Garden Party 2023

A huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers who braved the excessive heat to help set up, then run the bar, BBQ, cakes and other stalls and children's activities at our Summer Garden Party. Another thank you to Action Amanda and Silva Ace, Fitness Trigga who provided fantastic entertainment for the children and to the three Royal College of Music students who played beautifully and soulfully for the adults. A third thank you also to those who donated towards costs or took the time to bake a vast array of delicious cakes and a final thank you for those who came and supported us on the day and made it such a great party.

Confirmation 2023

On 25th May +Emma, Bishop of Kensington confirmed 23 Candidates from St Mary Abbots, St Philips and St Mary the Boltons and afterward there was a small celebration in the Vicarage Gardens. Congratulations again to all the candidates.

Clemson University Singers Tour, 20th May 2023

The University choir started their tour with a lunchtime concert at St Mary Abbots, before going on to St Botolph, Cambridge, Canterbury Cathedral and finishing in Cathedrale Sante-Croix des Armeniers, Paris.
We hope that they enjoyed their trip as much as we enjoyed their enthusiastic and enjoyable performance.

Street Party in Holland Park, Sunday 7th May
The Street Party was arranged by Sarah-Jane and her Committee, made possible by the generous support of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, City living Local Life and individuals who donated to the go-fund me page, with thanks to the residents, members of St Mary Abbots School and St Mary Abbots Church who volunteered on the day and for the cooking and baking skills of the residents of Holland Street and adjacent streets who provided vast quantities of cakes, salads and hot food.

Festal Family Eucharist to celebrate the Coronation, Sunday 7th May

Civic Service on the Eve of the Coronation, 5th May 2023

Holy Week and Easter Services 2023

The Victorian Society's talk by Robert Stephenson on 22nd March 2023

Images by Victoria Smith for the Friends of Brompton Cemetery

Mothering Sunday, 19th March 2023

Peter Roper-Curzon Piano Recital, March 2023

Presentation to Stephanie for her 50th Year as a Bell-ringer

Maintenance Work on the Tower and the Steeple

Work on the spire is almost completed so Simon, our head Virger, joins them at the top of the spire to inspect their work! This is one of the tallest spires in London.....

Bishop Emma's Visits the Church and school

Ash Wednesday, February 2023

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return"

Why Ashes? For centuries, Christians have begun the season of Lent by being marked with the sign of the cross in ash.
We do this as a sign that we:
• Acknowledge our own mortality
• Feel God’s power to heal brokenness in our lives and in our world
• See our need to respond to God’s call and turn to him again.

Shrove Tuesday, February 2023

Traditionally on Shrove Tuesday ingredients would have been used up before the Lent fast. To mark this pancakes were served at the back of church at 3.30 pm until they ran out, for families and others leaving the school or passing by.

The most popular by far was chocolate and a long (but orderly) que formed!