St Mary the Virgin Merton is an inclusive Church of England parish within the Diocese of Southwark, serving a community of some 3,000 households in and around Merton Park, London, SW19.
Beautiful choral worship, quiet prayer, and a warm welcome for all ages. A community for faith, friendship, questions and hope - wherever you are on the journey. We’d love to see you.
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New to St Mary’s, or wondering what happens behind the church door? Here’s a little guide to worship, Communion and finding your place with us. You can join in the prayers and hymns, simply listen, or take a quiet moment. We’re a Church of England parish in Merton Park, shaped by choral worship, the Eucharist and love for our neighbours. Children are welcome, with all the life and sound they bring. Swipe through, save this for your first visit, or share it with someone who might like to come. We’d love to meet you. Service times and visiting information: see social media posts or website link in bio. Church Path, Merton Park, London SW19 3HJ #StMarysMerton #MertonPark #Wimbledon #Merton #ChurchOfEngland -
Today, 17 October, the Church remembers 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐬, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐡 and Martyr. Ignatius led the Church in Antioch in the eastern Roman Empire. Taken as a prisoner to Rome, he died there as a martyr in the early second century (circa 107). On his journey he wrote seven surviving letters: extraordinary glimpses of a Church still close to its beginnings. In one letter he describes the Eucharist as the "medicine of immortality." He exhorts his readers to remember that, just as Jesus had truly shared our human flesh, truly suffered and truly risen, so, in the Eucharist, we have a communion with this living Christ. This sharing in the life of Jesus should lead us to embody that life both in a commonality which seeks unity within the church, but also a life which has the flavour of the immortal, the divine: care for widows, widowers, orphans, and people hungry or oppressed. Devotion and orthodoxy are embody things, not merely ideas. He goes on to describe this form of church unity as a musical instrument through which "Jesus Christ is sung." The song which reveals Jesus being harmonious love for each other and for the world; the Communion we share becoming communion in our daily lives. 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔, 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑺𝒕 𝑰𝒈𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒖𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #IgnatiusOfAntioch #SaintIgnatius #StIgnatius #Eucharist #ChristianUnity -
Join us this Sunday for our reflective 8 am Said Mass; our joyful 9.30 am Children First Eucharist; or our timeless 6.30 pm Evensong. 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝟔.𝟑𝟎𝐩𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 Opening Hymn: Lord, teach us how to pray aright Responses: Ayleward Psalm: 103 Canticles: Dyson in F Anthem: The spirit of the Lord, Elgar Hymn: O for a closer walk with God Final Hymn: Hail, gladdening Light 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 God, the giver of life, whose Holy Spirit wells up within your Church: by the Spirit’s gifts equip us to live the gospel of Christ and make us eager to do your will, that we may share with the whole creation the joys of eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. #elgar #psalm23 #choralmusic #merton #wimbledon -
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝟏𝟎.𝟑𝟎 𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘! Today we remember 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐚 𝐨𝐟 Á𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐚, Teacher of the Faith. Teresa lived from 1515 to 1582. She was a Spanish Carmelite nun who played a significant role in the Catholic Counter-Reformation through the communities she founded and her theological reflections, particularly on prayer. In her book, _The Interior Castle_ , she pictures the soul as a castle with many dwelling places, and invites us on a journey towards deeper encounter with God through patient attention to the life within us. She also describes prayer with the language of friendship, where we come into the presence of Jesus who loves us, bringing the truth of our lives, including gratitude, grief, affection, frustration, confidence, uncertainty, and so on. This approach to prayer, she argues, should bear fruit in love of neighbour, humility, and practical service. Perhaps today we might make a little space for silence, bring one person to mind, hold them before God, and consider whether a message, a visit or some practical help could become part of that prayer. God of friendship and mercy, deepen our love, steady our attention and make us generous in your service. 𝑺𝒕 𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒂, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #TeresaOfAvila #SaintTeresa #StTeresa #CarmeliteSpirituality #Prayer -
Today, 12 October, the Church of England commemorates 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥, women whose Christian faith drew them towards people in vulnerable circumstances. Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker, challenged the degrading conditions faced by women and children in prison. Following her visit to Newgate Prison in 1813, she worked for education, useful employment and humane treatment of those there, recognising possibilities in people whom society had discarded. Edith Cavell helped develop professional nursing in Brussels and cared for wounded soldiers from both sides during the First World War. She also helped Allied soldiers escape occupied Belgium, for which she was arrested and executed in 1915. Before her death, she spoke of refusing hatred and bitterness. Their circumstances were different, but both sought to recognise the person beneath the label of prisoner, foreigner, enemy. Today we give thanks for everyone who brings humanity into difficult places: nurses and carers, prison staff and visitors, chaplains, teachers, and those supporting people harmed by crime. May nobody be beyond the reach of our concern. 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝑭𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #ElizabethFry #EdithCavell #FaithInAction #HumanDignity #Merton -
Today the Church of England commemorates 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞, poet, priest and spiritual writer. “You never enjoy the world aright, till the Sea itself floweth in your veins” (Traherne's Centuries of Meditations). Born in or near Hereford around 1637, Traherne studied at Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1657 he became Rector of Credenhill, a small Herefordshire parish where he served for most of his adult life. He later became chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgeman and died at the age of 37. He is buried at St Mary with St Alban, Teddington. Only one of his theological books appeared during his lifetime, with manuscripts of his poems and meditations rediscovered more than two centuries later. Traherne’s writing returns repeatedly to childhood, creation, joy and what he called “felicity.” He remembered a way of seeing in which streets, skies and human beings appeared new, radiant and infinitely precious. Traherne recognises that the world is properly enjoyed when it is thought of as a gift, not a possession, and that every other person should be understood as an heir rather than a rival. Finzi’s Dies natalis sets texts from Traherne’s prose and poetry concerning childhood wonder. We all know, however, that sometimes wonder and joy seem inaccessible and that the gift of creation is not untouched by grief. Sometimes wonder needs to begin again very quietly. The decision to look again at the autumn light in the churchyard, to ponder how strange it is that there is anything at all, to look at another's face with generosity. Creator of all, open our eyes to the glory hidden in ordinary things. 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #ThomasTraherne #teddingtonparish #SacredWonder #ChristianPoetry #ChurchOfEngland -
With thanks to Archie at Irregular Signs, our lovely new central noticeboard is now in place. The two side panels, which will hold seasonal posters, including a list of the month's services, have been freshly painted to match. -
Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed a fascinating tour of the history of church bells and ringing by Milica Reardon from the Surrey Association of Church Bellringers. This was followed by our own lovely band of ringers, who gave an enthusiastic audience a demonstration of the Merton bells, complete with video of them in action streamed live from the belfry, and the opportunity for anyone to have a go themselves, including a very excited 6 year old, hopefully a ringer in the making! Our thanks go to Melica and Association colleagues, to Niki our Tower Captain, and to the John Innes Society who co-hosted the evening. #bellringing @surreybellringers -
Happy Michaelmas from St Mary’s! Today the Church of England celebrates 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬. In Scripture, angels' arrival tend to announce something unexpected, accompany a difficult journey, or open someone’s eyes to a reality they had not noticed. They belong to the worship of heaven, yet their work repeatedly brings them into the anxieties and possibilities of human life. Revelation, the last of the church's scriptures, gives us the dramatic image of Michael and his angels confronting the dragon. This is not a justification for treating those of other faiths or people with whom we disagree as enemies to be destroyed (the passage itself locates victory in the Lamb who loves unto the end!), but it gives us hope that deep systemic and ideological evil can be resisted. For a parish dedicated to Mary, we remember fondly the angel Gabriel, God’s messenger who arrived in an ordinary human life and opened an unexpected future with those words to Mary, the beginning of the Good News: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." Today we pray for everyone who needs courage, protection, or companionship. God of heaven and earth, keep us faithful in love, brave in kindness, and attentive to your presence. 𝑺𝒕 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒍, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #Michaelmas #MichaelAndAllAngels #Archangels #Merton #Wimbledon -
Today, the Church of England remembers 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐬 who died four hundred years ago today. Andrewes was a bishop, scholar and spiritual writer who helped translate the King James Bible, preached remarkable sermons, and left a notable collection of private prayers. He served as Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and Dean of Westminster, before becoming successively Bishop of Chichester, Ely and Winchester. His legacy invites us to bring learning and devotion together; to read carefully, pray honestly, and remain open to being changed. Andrewes is buried in Southwark Cathedral (then known as St Saviour’s parish church), St Mary's mother church, and his tomb remains beside the Great Screen. This weekend, 26-27 September, the cathedral’s "Lancelot 400” programme offers an opportunity to encounter Andrewes within the place where he is remembered, including a talk by Rowan Williams on Saturday and special services on Sunday. God of wisdom and mercy, open our minds to truth and our hearts to love. 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑨𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #LancelotAndrewes #AnglicanSpirituality #Prayer #SouthwarkCathedral #Pembrokecollege -
Today is 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 - an invitation to notice what our streets might become when people, rather than traffic, set the rhythm. Transport produces around 30% of Merton’s greenhouse-gas emissions. Choosing to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport for even one journey can therefore become a small act of care for our neighbours’ lungs, our shared climate, and our own wellbeing. But this is an invitation, not a moral test. Some people depend upon cars because of disability, caring responsibilities, work or inadequate transport. A genuinely car-free future would be a fascinating problem to work towards. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅’𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕 (𝑷𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝟐𝟒:𝟏) #WorldCarFreeDay #CarFreeDay #ActiveTravel #CleanAir #CreationCare -
FREE EVENT EVERYONE WELCOME #bellringing #churchbells #bellringers #churchhistory #wimbledon -
Today the Church celebrates 𝐒𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰, 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. Christian tradition remembers Matthew as the evangelist whose name the first Gospel bears; a Gospel framed by the promise of Emmanuel, God with us. Today we also give thanks for our neighbours at St Matthew’s in West Wimbledon and Raynes Park, who celebrated their Patronal Festival yesterday. Just as Jesus ate with Matthew the tax collector, may St Mary’s become a table where nobody is reduced to a label so that Christ’s “Follow me” can still open an unexpected future. 𝑺𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒘, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #SaintMatthew #StMatthew #Apostle #Evangelist #FollowMe @stmattswim -
Today, the Church remembers 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐬, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐲. Theodore, one of the most influential Archbishops of Canterbury, was born around 602 in Tarsus, in what is now southern Turkey. He was formed within Greek-speaking eastern Christianity and later lived as a monk in Rome. In 668, when he was already in his mid-sixties, Pope Vitalian consecrated him Archbishop of Canterbury and sent him to England. Hadrian, a North African abbot and accomplished scholar, accompanied him and eventually led the school at Canterbury, making cultural and intellectual diversity the foundations of the English Church. Theodore travelled through the English kingdoms, restored neglected dioceses and sought to establish structures through which churches divided by geography, custom and political rivalry could share a common life, with his gathering of bishops at Hertford becoming the first general synod of the English Church. He was the first archbishop to unite the English church which was a remarkable achievement as England was not yet a single kingdom, and its churches inherited differing customs. Theodore, however, was not a modern pluralist and his reforms extended central authority and Roman discipline. It is important to remember that, even when raising up those who have been neglected, true unity is not achieved when one voice silences every other voice. It grows when difference can be held within relationship; when people learn from traditions beyond their own; and when common structures protect participation rather than merely consolidating power, whether within one local church context, or in the wider context of inter-church or inter-faith interaction. May our learning deepen humility rather than pride. May institutions exist for people rather than people for institutions. May strangers be welcomed as teachers, and may our unity in Christ become spacious enough for truthful difference. 𝑺𝒕 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. #SaintTheodore #TheodoreOfTarsus #ArchbishopOfCanterbury #ChristianUnity #ChurchHistory -
Concert at St Marys; tickets on the door! Amazing opportunity to see a phenomenal young singer as she returns from her tour in Germany, alongside an award winning composer and pianist. "𝑺𝒐𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉 𝑫𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔-𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄" - 𝑬𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 @hdieneswilliamssoprano @gregmay2001 #wimbledon #merton #mertonpark #morden #wimbledonchase -
Today the Church of England keeps 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲. To “exalt” the cross does not mean glorifying pain, or to use it as a badge of conquest, separating the righteous from everyone else. A Christian use of the cross "never brandishes the cross of Christ against our brothers and sisters” (Pope Francis). Christ’s sacrifice is not a satisfaction of God's need for violence, but a judgement of the ideological machinery that creates victims. True sacrifice is always the more powerful giving up that power to bring life, as God, the source of all being, gave up that power at the Cross to be with those who fear, who are humiliated, scapegoated, and abandoned, opening death into a birth from the womb of this world. Hanging in the bell tower at St Mary's is a large painting of Christ Falling under the Cross. It is a seventeenth-century copy of an Anthony Van Dyck painting, showing the Fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Holy Rosary. How the copy reached Merton is unknown, but it was already hanging in the church by 1792. The painting reminds us that, despite what our ultra-competitive, influencer-driven world says, falling beneath what we have been asked to carry does not mean that we have failed. We have in fact, become little images of Christ, which say to this ideology, "Look at what you are doing!" Some questions for us today might be, "What subtle powers do we not realise we have?" "How can we use these to bring life?" "Can we help carry the Cross of someone who is falling beneath it?" "How can this Cross become a Tree of Life?" May the Cross expose every cruelty concealed behind respectability. May those crushed by unbearable burdens find companionship and release. May the Church be known not by the power it claims, but by the wounds it tends and the life it helps to grow. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑶 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. #HolyCrossDay #ExaltationOfTheHol -
Parish Players’ 70th Anniversary Pantomime — Sleeping Beauty Performances will take place from 7–9 January 2027. Auditions are being held on 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟓 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝟕.𝟒𝟓𝐩𝐦 in the Parish Hall. Parish Players meet on Tuesdays from 7.45–10pm and warmly welcome new members both on stage and backstage—from Year 7 to 80+! Parental consent is required for under-18s. Find out more at www.parishplayers.net @parishplayerssw19 #ParishPlayers #SleepingBeauty #CommunityTheatre #Pantomime #WimbledonEvents -
Today is our Patronal Festival: the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, beneath whose name Christians have gathered in Merton for centuries. Mary’s story tells us that God does not save creation by keeping at a safe distance. The eternal Word becomes flesh within her body; the ordinary substance of human life becomes a dwelling place for God. Mary, theologian-mother, sings of the lowly being lifted, the hungry filled and the hierarchies that diminish human dignity overturned. Today three baptismal candidates pass through water into Christ’s new creation, while new choristers receive their surplices and begin to offer their voices within the Church’s song. Water and music, bodies and promises: grace takes hold of material things and makes them signs of new life. This Sunday also marks the Church of England’s first Festival of Creation in Christ. Our patronal feast takes precedence locally, but the two celebrations belong beautifully together. Mary is part of creation, and through her consent creation makes room for its Creator. May we become, like Mary, places where Christ is welcomed, nurtured and offered to the world. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. #BlessedVirginMary #PatronalFestival #OurLady #Magnificat #HolyBaptism -
Ave Maria! -
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#choralmusic #choir #evensong #singtogether #learntosing -
St Mary's Choir rehearsing in the Cathedral stalls before Sunday's Evensong. @gloucestercathedral @tristan_weymes #choralevensong -
Our choir's final Evensong anthem was SS Wesley's 'Blessed Be the God and Father'. Wesley was Organist at Gloucester from 1865 to 1876. The choir rehearsed in the Cathedral Song School today under the watchful gaze of the great man's portrait! #choralevensong @tristan_weymes @gloucestercathedral -
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St Mary’s, Merton Choir is singing at the magnificent Gloucester Cathedral this week! The remaining services are: Friday 14 August 5.30pm — Choral Evensong Saturday 15 August 4.30pm — Choral Evensong Sunday 16 August 10.15am — Sung Eucharist 3.00pm — Choral Evensong If you are in or near Gloucester, we would be delighted to see you. Full details: https://gloucestercathedral.org.uk/worship-and-community #StMarysMerton #GloucesterCathedral #ChoralEvensong #SungEucharist #churchmusic -
St Mary's Choristers relaxing in the Cathedral Close before tonight's #choralevensong. @gloucestercathedral @tristan_weymes -
St Mary's Choir will be swapping SW19 for a residence at Gloucester Cathedral from this Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th August inclusive. The Choir will be singing Choral Evensong every day, plus Choral Eucharist on Sunday morning, while the Cathedral Choir continue their summer holiday. And on Sunday 23rd August, our talented young choristers will be singing Choral Eucharist at 11am and Choral Evensong at 3pm at our own Southwark Cathedral. Our choir have a long and distinguished history of singing at England's cathedrals and collegiate churches, most recently at Westminster Abbey last summer, where our photo was taken. @gloucestercathedral @southwark_cathedral @tristan_weymes #choralevensong -
Today the Church of England remembers 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞, priest, scholar, hymn writer and one of the great translators of Christian song. If you have sung “O come, O come, Emmanuel,” “All glory, laud and honour,” “The day of resurrection,” or “Jerusalem the golden,” you have already met him. Neale was fascinated by the riches of the ancient and medieval Church. He translated Latin and Greek hymns into English, helping words written centuries earlier become the prayers of new generations. But his faith was not merely aesthetic. In 1855 he co-founded the Society of St Margaret, an Anglican community of women whose life of prayer was joined to nursing and service among people living in poverty. In his translation of Bernard of Cluny we sing: “I know not, O I know not, What joys await us there.” Neale’s vocation of translation speaks of how tradition lives when it is handed on, translated, and sung in a way its first authors could never have imagined. At St Mary’s, we are particularly thankful today for hymn writers who have gifted us the substance of our choral worship, which we offer as sacrifice throughout the rhythm of the Church’s year in our ancient Church. The dissolved Augustinian Priory of St Mary at Merton belonged to the medieval liturgical world whose prayer and song Neale worked so hard to make audible again and so today we also remember how we speak for those whose voices have been silenced. 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑵𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 #JohnMasonNeale #hymnwriter #christiantradition -
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Today the Church remembers 𝐎𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐲, 𝟏𝟎𝟗𝟗. Osmund was a Norman scholar and builder of the cathedral community at Old Sarum. He is also associated with the tradition of worship later known as the 𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒖𝒎 𝑼𝒔𝒆: the ordered pattern of prayer which shaped much of medieval English Christianity. Today we give thanks for Osmund, and for all who have ordered the Church’s life in prayer and praise: bishops, priests, musicians, scholars, builders, and faithful worshippers across the centuries. May we, like them, offer God not only our words, but the whole pattern of our lives: ordered by prayer, shaped by beauty, and rooted in love. 𝑶𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒅, 𝑩𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒚, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #StOsmund #OsmundOfSalisbury #SarumUse #ChurchOfEngland #Liturgy -
Today the Church remembers 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐧, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐜. 𝟖𝟔𝟐. Swithun was an Anglo-Saxon bishop remembered for humility and pastoral care. His name has become associated with rain, sunshine, and the turning of the weather: 𝑺𝒕 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒏'𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑺𝒕 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒏'𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒏𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒓 (fortunately it's not 35 degrees today!). Perhaps behind this folklore is a saint who points us to the quiet faithfulness and unchanging nature of God who persists through the ebbs and flows of life. Before the Diocese of Southwark existed, Merton belonged historically to the Diocese of Winchester and thus Swithun, we remember with gratitude, would have been our bishop. As we remember St Swithun, may we learn to find God in weather and seasons, in patience and humility, and in the daily work of love. 𝑺𝒕 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒏, 𝑩𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #StSwithun #SaintSwithun #BishopOfWinchester #ChurchOfEngland #Winchester -
Today the Church remembers 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭, 𝟏𝟖𝟔𝟔. Keble was a parish priest, a poet, and one of the great voices of the Oxford Movement. His book 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓 helped generations of Anglicans pray their way through the seasons of the Church, finding God in scripture, worship, nature, and the quiet holiness of ordinary days. In 1833, Keble preached his famous sermon on **National Apostasy** at St Mary’s University Church, Oxford — an event often seen as the beginning of the Oxford Movement. That movement called the Church of England to remember its catholic roots: the sacraments, the beauty of holiness, the faith of the early Church, and the deep rhythm of prayer. Keble's influence surrounds St Mary's. The Oxford Movement had a marked effect in this part of south-west London and its legacy still shapes churches like ours: places of choral worship, sacramental grace, beauty, prayer, and welcome. As we give thanks for John Keble today, may we learn to seek God in the Christian year, in the worship of the Church, and in the holiness hidden within ordinary life. 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑲𝒆𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #JohnKeble #OxfordMovement #ChurchOfEngland #TheChristianYear -
Today the Church remembers 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐚, 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐨, 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐜. 𝟓𝟓𝟎 Benedict gave the Church a rule of life rooted in prayer, work, humility, stability, hospitality, and peace. His wisdom has shaped Christian communities for centuries by teaching them to receive the ordinary life of each day as a place where God may be found. Our own ancient story is linked with the Augustinian Canons of Merton Priory and the old Priory archway outside the church reminds us that Merton, too, has been shaped by the prayers of those who sought God in community, worship, learning, and service. In a restless, noisy, anxious, and divided world, Benedict calls us to steadiness, silence, peace, and hospitality. As we give thanks for Benedict today, may we learn to seek God in the rhythm of daily life: in prayer and work, in welcome and service, in patience and love. 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑵𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒂, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔 St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #BenedictOfNursia #StBenedict #Prayer #Hospitality #Peace -
Today we're delighted to host the Sanderstead Singers and MD @dansoper for their final rehearsal before a residence at @yorkminsterofficial from Monday 3rd to Sunday 9th August. St Mary's Merton Choir has had a long and happy association with Sanderstead Singers stretching back to 1999, and this year six current and past members of our choir will again be joining them for the week singing the choral services at York. The church remains open, but please respect the singers by keeping noise to a minimum and do not take any photos or videos. Thank you. The photo features Sanderstead Singers at St Paul's Cathedral on Easter Monday 2026. -
Today the Church remembers 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲𝐫𝐬, 𝐝. 𝟏𝟓𝟑𝟓. More and Fisher lived through one of the most painful divisions in the history of the English Church. Both were executed under Henry VIII, after refusing to accept the King’s supremacy over the Church. St Mary’s, Merton predates the Reformation by centuries. A church has stood on this site since before the Domesday Book, and parts of the present building date back to 1115. Just outside the church stands the remains of the ancient archway from Merton Priory, dissolved under Henry VIII. So today we remember not only two courageous witnesses, but also the deep wounds and complicated inheritance of our own history. We give thanks for conscience, courage, learning, and costly faithfulness. We also pray for humility as we face the failures of the Church across the centuries. As the Church of England has recently acknowledged and apologised for historic links to the transatlantic slave trade, we are reminded that Christian memory must never be nostalgia alone. It must lead us to repentance, truth-telling, justice, and repair. May Christ, who is Lord of history and judge of all, teach us to be faithful in our own generation. 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑭𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝑹𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚𝒓𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #ThomasMore #JohnFisher #ReformationMartyrs #ChurchOfEngland #MertonPriory -
Today the Church celebrates 𝐒𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞. Thomas is often remembered as “doubting Thomas” because of his braveness to speak honestly: he is someone who will not pretend to understand what he does not understand, and who longs not for rumours about resurrection, but for Christ himself. When the risen Jesus comes to him, Thomas is not pushed away for his questions. He is met with peace. Christ shows him the wounds of love, and Thomas answers with one of the great confessions of faith: “𝕸𝖞 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖒𝖞 𝕲𝖔𝖉.” Thomas reminds us that faith is not the absence of questions. It is the grace of bringing our questions, fears, and wounds into the presence of the risen Christ. Ancient tradition remembers Thomas as carrying the Gospel as far as India, reminding us that love of Christ reaches across every boundary of nation, culture, language, and doubt. Tradition has it that he was martyred for his faith and in the image he is holding the spear that killed him - touching with love even that which speaks of death. As we give thanks for Thomas today, may we have courage to seek Christ honestly, and grace to recognise him as our Lord and our God. 𝑺𝒕 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #stthomas #doubtingthomas #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican #resurrection -
Today the Church celebrates 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥, 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬. Peter, the fisherman, was impulsive, devoted, afraid, forgiven, and sent out to strengthen the Church. Paul, the persecutor turned apostle, carried the Gospel across boundaries of nation, language, and culture. They were very different people. They did not always agree easily. And yet both were drawn into the same grace of Christ, and both gave their lives in witness to him. Their feast reminds us that the Church is built not on perfect people, but on people called, changed, and sent. Today we pray especially for all churches dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul: may they be places of courage, welcome, reconciliation, and joyful witness to Christ. As we give thanks for these two great apostles, may we too be faithful in our calling, generous in our witness, and bold in proclaiming the love of God. 𝑺𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝑷𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝑷𝒂𝒖𝒍, 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #SaintsPeterAndPaul #StPeter #StPaul #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican -
Today the Church remembers 𝐂𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚, 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡, 𝐝. 𝟒𝟒𝟒. As a teacher, Cyril's great concern was that we should not divide Christ in two, as though Jesus were partly God and partly human, or as though God merely visited a human life from the outside. For Cyril, the wonder of the Gospel is deeper and stranger: in Jesus Christ, God truly comes among us. The eternal Word takes flesh. The divine light enters our ordinary human life, our weakness, our bodies, our joys and sorrows, and makes them places of grace. This is why Cyril defended the title 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐬 (𝐆𝐨𝐝-𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫) 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲. The child she bore is truly Emmanuel: God with us. Cyril’s vision of salvation was wonderfully vast. Because Christ has taken our humanity into himself, human nature is not abandoned, despised, or thrown away. It is healed, restored, and drawn back towards God. In Cyril’s theology there is a deep hope for the renewal of all things: a hope that God’s mercy is larger than our failures, and that the Incarnation reaches further than we can imagine. As we give thanks for Cyril today, may we honour Our Lady as Theotokos, and may we trust more deeply in the mystery of Christ: fully divine, fully human, and nearer to us than we dare imagine. He comes among us to restore, heal, and save. 𝑪𝒚𝒓𝒊𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒂, 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #CyrilOfAlexandria #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican #Theotokos #Incarnation -
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Today the Church celebrates the 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭. John stands on the edge of the Gospel like a figure at dawn: not the light himself, but the one who points towards the light. Before Jesus begins his public ministry, John is already preparing the way, calling people to repentance, renewal, and hope. His birth is a sign that God’s promises are not forgotten. To Zechariah and Elizabeth, long past the years of expectation, God gives joy. To Israel, waiting in darkness, God gives a voice crying in the wilderness. To us, God gives a reminder that grace often begins quietly, unexpectedly, and long before we can see the whole story. John’s great task was to make Christ known. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” As we celebrate his birth today, may we too prepare the way of the Lord: in our hearts, in our homes, in our church, and in the world. 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕, 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕, 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #JohnTheBaptist #BirthOfJohnTheBaptist #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican #StMarysMerton -
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Today the Church remembers 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚, 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐥𝐲, 𝐜. 𝟔𝟕𝟖. Etheldreda — also known as Æthelthryth or Audrey — was a Saxon princess, queen, foundress, and abbess. After a life shaped by political marriage, prayer, and costly faithfulness, she founded a monastery at Ely, where she became abbess and mother of a community of prayer. Ely Cathedral still bears her memory. Its origins lie in the monastery Etheldreda founded, and her shrine remains at the heart of the cathedral’s story: a witness to centuries of prayer, pilgrimage, beauty, and worship. At St Mary’s, Merton, we have our own ancient Christian story, shaped by the life of Merton Priory and by more than nine hundred years of worship. Today, as we remember Etheldreda, we give thanks for all holy places where prayer has taken root across the generations. As we give thanks for Etheldreda today, may we learn to seek God with undivided hearts, and to make our own homes, churches, and communities places of prayer and welcome. https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely, pray for us. St Mary’s, Merton A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #etheldreda #stetheldreda #elycathedral #churchofengland #womensaints -
Today the Church remembers 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐚𝐧, 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐜. 𝟐𝟓𝟎. Alban lived in Roman Verulamium, near the place where @stalbanscathedral now stands. When a Christian priest was fleeing persecution, Alban gave him shelter. Moved by the priest’s faith, Alban became a Christian himself. When the authorities came to arrest the priest, Alban changed clothes with him and gave himself up in his place. He refused to deny Christ, and was killed for his faith. His grave became a place of pilgrimage, and St Albans Cathedral still stands as a witness to his courage: the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain. St Alban’s story has a special place in the life of St Mary’s too: in 2023, pilgrims from St Mary’s walked to St Albans Cathedral, joining the ancient stream of prayer and pilgrimage to the shrine of Britain’s first martyr (https://www.stmarysmerton.org.uk/uploads/FnJ271wv/ParishMatters-autumn23.pdf). Alban reminds us that faith is not only belief in the mind, but love in action: sheltering the vulnerable, protecting the persecuted, and standing for Christ when it costs us something. As we give thanks for Alban today, may we have grace to be faithful, courageous, and generous in love. Alban, First Martyr of Britain, pray for us. Pray today with the Church of England Daily Prayer: https://daily.commonworship.com St Mary’s, Merton Park A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #saintalban #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican #stalbanscathedral #dailyprayer -
Our wonderful young singers - aged 7 to19 - thoroughly entertained a delighted audience at last night's Choristers' Concert. Thank you to everyone who came and supported our young people, raising valuable funds to support the musical education at St Mary’s; to our MD Tristan and Kate our Vocal Coach; to Alexandra Standing for her flawless accompanying. And most of all, to every one of our talented young performers who made it a truly memorable night! @alexandrathepianist @tristan_weymes -
Today's BBC Radio 4 Thought for the Day is by Revd Dr Giles Fraser who celebrates the peaceful joy and beauty of Choral Evensong. Find it on BBC Sounds. Come and join us at St Mary's for Choral Evensong every Sunday in term-times at 6.30pm sung by our Choir, and at other times by our Occasional Singers. #choralevensong -
Today the Church remembers 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚, 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐮, 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡, 𝐝. 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟗 Sundar Singh was a holy wanderer, pilgrim, and teacher who travelled lightly. Clothed in the saffron robe, he showed that the Gospel does not belong to one culture, reminding us that Christ is always larger than our habits and assumptions. Faith is not the possession of one people, one style, or one age. It is the living light of God, received and shared in every place. The hymn 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 is often associated with Sadhu Sundar Singh and the Indian Christian tradition, though its exact authorship is disputed. As we give thanks for Sundar Singh today, may we learn to follow Christ with simplicity, courage, and joy. Sundar Singh, pray for us. St Mary’s, Merton Park A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #SundarSingh #SadhuSundarSingh #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican #TeacherOfTheFaith #Indian -
The Summer issue of our popular quarterly magazine Parish Matters is now online. Highlights include the story of how John Innes left his considerable mark on Merton Park - and we don't mean with compost! Several beautiful Burne-Jones windows in the church are dedicated to John Innes, and in this issue we look at the Isaiah window, manufactured locally by William Morris & Co. There's also fascinating insights into two other Merton figures - Richard Thornton, reputedly once the richest man in England, and 18th century female bookseller Dorcas Lackington, who is buried in St Mary's churchyard. Revd. Ali Milne reflects on his first weeks as our new Vicar, and we celebrate 100 years of Merton Park Bowling Club and 105 years of the Brownies in Merton Park. Download your free copy from our website - link in bio. Parish Matters is distributed to 3,000 households in the parish and is also available at the back of the church. -
Today the Church remembers 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐤𝐢, 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲𝐫, 𝐝. 𝟏𝟖𝟗𝟔 Born in Mozambique, Bernard was a teacher and translator, serving among the Shona people in what is now Zimbabwe. In a time of violence and danger, Bernard chose to remain with the people he had been sent to serve and was killed on 18 June 1896. Bernard reminds us that the Gospel is not carried only by bishops, priests, or famous voices. It is carried by all faithful people, teachers, neighbours, and friends: those who make Christ known by love, courage, patience, and service. As we give thanks for Bernard Mizeki today, may we have grace to be faithful where God has placed us, and to serve Christ in all people. Bernard Mizeki, Apostle of the MaShona and Martyr, pray for us. St Mary’s, Merton Park A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #BernardMizeki #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican #Martyr #Zimbabwe #Mozambique -
Today, the Church remembers Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, philosopher, and intellectual defender of the Christian life. Butler wrote in an age when many were asking whether human beings are really anything more than self-interested creatures. Against the bleakness of Thomas Hobbes’s view of human nature, Butler argued that conscience, compassion, and benevolence are part of the complexity of what it means to be human. He also saw in the complexity of the world around him often perplexing patterns of order and meaning. In that same spirit, he invited people to see Christian faith not as an escape from reason, but as something woven into the deep structure of an untidy reality. In a noisy and suspicious age, Butler teaches us to listen to conscience, to ponder the strange patterns of meaning in creation, and to seek God with both heart and mind. Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham and Philosopher, pray for us. St Mary’s, Merton Park A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. #JosephButler #ChurchOfEngland #Anglican #ChristianFaith #Conscience #Philosophy #Prayer -
Today the Church remembers Evelyn Underhill, writer, retreat conductor, and one of the great Anglican voices of prayer and the spiritual life. Underhill had a gift for helping ordinary Christians see that holiness is not reserved for a few exceptional people, but is the calling of all of us. She reminded the Church that prayer is not an escape from the world, but a way of being drawn more deeply into the life of God, and so into love for our neighbour. Her life and work still encourage us to make room for silence, attentiveness, and the presence of God amid the noise of everyday life. As we give thanks for Evelyn Underhill today, may we too grow in prayer, compassion, and the desire for God. “God is always coming to you in the Sacrament of the Present Moment.” Nico Muhly’s The Quiet Stars is a short anthem setting words from Underhill’s wartime poem “Candlemas, 1915”, St Mary’s, Merton Park A place of prayer, worship, and welcome for all. Image: Evelyn Underhill, 1926. Pleshey Retreat House / Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. #EvelynUnderhill #FeastDay #SaintsOfTheChurch #Prayer #Anglican #ChurchOfEngland #stmarysmerton #MertonPark #christianspirituality -
Join us this us Sunday for beautiful music, restorative ritual, fellowship, and perhaps even a joke in the sermon! Excitingly, our wonderful choir are also singing at 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒕 𝟒 𝒑𝒎 this Sunday for the Diocesan Evensong. If you fancy a pilgrimage, please do join us! Given this, the 𝟔.𝟑𝟎 𝒑𝒎 service this Sunday at Mary's will be a short Said Evening Prayer. Pew Sheet: https://landing.churchdesk.com/en-gb/file/3bc65a14-011d-4d56-bac7-60e2a70c5661 ~ Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen -
St Mary's Church is now on Facebook as well as Instagram! On Facebook search for St Mary the Virgin Merton and we're @stmarysmerton on Insta. -
It's another glorious spring day in Merton Park. Do join us for Choral Evensong tonight at 6.30pm. Responses - Ayleward Canticles - L'Estrange King's Service Anthem - Teach me O Lord - Attwood. #choralevensong -
A very happy Easter from the St Mary's Flower team, who worked so hard on Saturday to make the church even more beautiful than usual. #easterweekend -
A very happy Easter from all at St Mary's. Tonight at 6.30pm we continue our celebration of Christ's Resurrection with Choral Evensong. Responses: Rose Canticles: Stanford in G Anthem: My Beloved Spake - Patrick Hadley All welcome. #eastersunday #choralevensong -
The Easter Fire ablaze at our Holy Saturday service this evening. #holyweek #eastereve #holysaturday -
Easter Eve at St Mary's The Easter Garden is bare as we wait for the joy of the Resurrection on Easter Day. Tonight at 7.30pm: The Easter Vigil - from Darkness to Light. Easter Fire, renewal of baptismal promises and Easter music led by the choir. #holyweek #eastereve -
St Augustine's chapel, prepared for Good Friday. -
Good Friday at St Mary's 12noon Devotions with recorded music of The Passion (Pergolesi: Stabat Mater) 1pm Service at the Cross – hymns, readings, sermon 2pm The Good Friday Liturgy Do feel free to stay for all or any part of the 3 hours. #goodfriday #holyweek -
Maundy Thursday at St Mary's Tonight at 7.30pm we recall the Last Supper and Christ's washing of the apostles' feet, when He implored them to emulate His loving humility. After the service, which is led by the choir, there will be a Vigil until midnight for those who wish to stay for any or all of this. -
Do join us at St Mary's tomorrow as we begin Holy Week. Palm Sunday commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 9.40am Blessing of Palms - meet at John Innes Park Bandstand and process to St Mary's for : 10am Sung Eucharist in church with dramatic reading of the Gospel 6.30pm A Passiontide Sequence of Words and Music This service draws together some of the themes of the closing days of Jesus’ life and, in words and music, offers a space for reflection and prayer as we journey in faith and follow the way of Christ. The choir will sing: Mozart - Ave Verum Corpus Goss - O Saviour of the World Hilton - Lord for thy tender mercy’s sake #palmsunday #holyweek -
Easter baking all ready for tomorrow's Wednesday Club afternoon tea, 2:15pm for 2:30pm in the parish small hall. -
Do join us for our Mothering Sunday Children First Eucharist at 10am this Sunday. Free posies (made by our wonderful Flower Team) for all mothers, and simnel cake in the parish hall with tea, coffee and squash after the service! -
Revd Ali Milne received the key to the west door of the church from Churchwarden @davidreeves104 at the parish reception following his Collation and Induction as Vicar of St Mary’s Merton last Sunday. Ali's first Sunday is 8th March, and he will be preaching at all three services - at 8am Said Eucharist, 9.30am Parish Eucharist and 6.30pm Choral Evensong. Do come along on Sunday to support Ali as he begins his ministry with us. -
The bell tower noticeboard of Vicars of St Mary the Virgin Merton is now up to date! Ali is the 30th Vicar as, despite the church being founded around 1115, until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in the 1530s St Mary's was under the direct control of Merton Priory. -
St Mary's welcomed our new Vicar, Revd Ali Milne, at his Collation and Induction by the Bishop of Kingston, Rt Revd Martin Gainsborough, on Sunday 1 March. @southwarkcofe -
Official notification of the collation and induction of Revd Ali Milne as our new Vicar on Sunday 1 March, posted on the west door of the church. -
'Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return'. Ash Wednesday sees the beginning of Lent, during which we reflect on Christ's time in the Wilderness and receive the sign of the cross in ashes from last year's palm crosses. Do join us at 7.30pm this Wednesday to mark this important time in the Christian year. Music is led by the choir. And enjoy your pancakes tomorrow! -
We're delighted to announce that Rev’d Alistair Milne will be the next Vicar of St Mary’s Merton. Ali currently is completing his curacy at St Nicolas' Guildford. His installation will take place at St Mary's on Sunday 1 March at 6.30pm. More details on our website (link in bio). @southwarkcofe @cofeguildford -
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Christmas Services at St Mary's Sunday 21 December - 6.30pm Nine Lessons & Carols by Candlelight Christmas Eve - 3.30pm & 5pm: Christingle services 11.30pm: Midnight Eucharist Christmas Day - 10am: Eucharist of Christmas Morning We look forward to seeing you over the festive season. -
This Sunday we look forward to Christ's coming at our candlelit Advent Carol service. Carols by the choir, readings and seasonal hymns for all in our joyful start to the season. All welcome! -
Don't miss our Christmas Market this Saturday 29th in the Church and Parish Hall from 11am to 2pm. Get in the seasonal spirit at our ever-popular community event! Kindly sponsored by @tennisonproperty -
Next Sunday, 9th November, we mark Remembrance Sunday with three services in collaboration with @merton_council, Rutlish High School and Old Rutlishians Association. - 9am Merton Civic Service outside the Nelson Health Centre in Kingston Road SW20 8DA, including the Last Post and wreath laying at the War Memorial of the former Nelson Hospital; - 10am Eucharist and Remembrance Service. Anthem: Greater Love Hath No Man by John Ireland. The two minute silence and Last Post at 11am is followed by the congregation moving outside to the War Memorial in Church Lane for; - a short wreath laying service and Last Post. Please arrive early for the 10am service as it is likely to be very busy. Our collection will be in support of @royalbritishlegion. 'At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.' #remembrancesunday @rutlishschool @old_rutlishians_association -
Tonight at 6.30pm we remember loved ones who are no longer with us at our All Souls service. Do come and light a candle in memory of any relatives or friends who have died. Light refreshments follow the service. -
You are warmly invited to St Mary's Harvest Festival Celebration this Sunday 19 October at 10am. It will be a Children First Eucharist for all the family. We are collecting harvest gifts for @thespirescentre which works with the homeless and disadvantaged. Any of the following items would be gratefully received: Storecupboard donations such as tinned meat and fish, tinned meals, pot noodles, pasta sachets, snack pots of porridge, biscuits, cereal bars, evaporated and UHT milk, microwaveable rice. Toiletries such as shampoo and shower gel, toothbrushes and toothpaste, personal hygiene items. Thank you for your generosity, and we hope to see you on Sunday morning! #harvestfestival #homelessness
