The Benefice of Ross-on-Wye with Walford and Brampton Abbotts
Inclusive churches in South Herefordshire
There’s just 5 weeks to go before St Mary’s Christmas Tree Festival and this year we want to make it even bigger and more magical than ever.
Could you get your tree down from the loft a bit early, bring it along to St Mary’s and decorate it for the festival? There’s no charge and if you run a business we’d welcome you to use it as an advertising opportunity.
More details and booking form (FREE) here. Go on, give it a go!
The meditation group is now running permanently at Walford Vicarage on alternate Thursdays at 7.30pm starting on 3rd October 2019. Please see the calendar to make sure you get the right week.
It is led by Tina Jefferies who is a leader for the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). Please contact Chris if you would like to join the group.
There’s a choice of services and theme tomorrow.
St Mary’s is celebrating its Harvest Festival with an All Age Service at 9.30; Walford have an All Age Communion at 11.30, and in St Michael and All Angels Church in Brampton Abbotts at 11.15 there will be an informal Patronal service, which marks a new beginning for this building as a community venue.
Please come and join us at one of our services.
A large contingent from St Mary’s traveled to Lugwardine on Thursday evening for the installation of our last curate, Simon Tarlton as Rector of the Bartestree Cross group of parishes by the Bishop of Hereford.
If you were unable to be at the service you may like to take a look at some of the recording of the service.
The next bishop of Hereford will be Richard Jackson. Bishop Richard, who is currently Suffragan Bishop of Lewes in East Sussex, will take up his role in the New Year and will be the 106th Bishop of Hereford, a church position that dates back to 676.
The announcement was released by Downing Street this morning. You can read more about the appointment here
Is there more to life than this?
What happens next?
Does God exist?
Join us on the Alpha course to explore the big questions about life and faith.
A new Alpha Course begins at St Mary’s on Tuesday 24th September at 7.00 pm.
Sign up by 8th September. For more information contact Christine (07563 382753
At Sean’s Collation Service an extract from the Benefice’s Statement of Needs was read out which identified the personal and leadership qualities the Ross Benefice was looking for in their new Rector. You can download and read this document below, it also expresses something of the vision and mission of our parishes in which Sean will lead us.
Finally, if you weren’t able to be at the service you can watch it on the live feed which remains on our Facebook page.
A number of people from St Mary’s have been on a trip to the Severn Waste Services Ltd, Envirosort. The visit was arranged as a result of one of the bible study groups recently looking at caring for the environment. All agreed it wasn’t actually a rubbish trip at all and that it provided many top tips to help them be more environmentally friendly.
8 couples at St Mary’s were celebrating their 50th Anniversaries this year including our own Reader Canon Freda Davies who organised a special service of celebration where couples were invited to renew their vows and display memorabilia from their own wedding days. There were also several Silver Wedding anniversaries and many other long unions. A wonderful atmosphere and a joyous occasion were enjoyed by all who attended.
Every year at around this time St Mary’s PCC gives illustrated Bibles to all the children in Y3 at our Church School. These were presented to the children this week.
Nick, our departing Administrator has just been up the tower to find a nest at the top. We wish the family all the best for the safe arrival of their chicks!
More importantly we wish Nick all the best in his new role and welcome Louise Jarvis back to the Benefice Office when she starts on Monday.
Our very own Derek Glover was invited to receive Maundy Money this year at Windsor Castle. We congratulate him!
Here’s how the remainder of Holy Week and Easter shapes up at St Mary’s Church, Ross-on-Wye.
More at https://rawchurch.org.uk/easter
We had a fantastic Come & Sing event at St Mary’s on Sunday. Faure’s Requiem in a devotional service for Holy Week, with a choir of around 40 singers. Well done and thank you to everyone who came along either to sing or to form a congregation. Thanks also to all who provided cake, to Adrian for playing and Cameron and Fiona for their wonderful solos.
We hope the next one will be at Christmas, as part of the Christmas Tree Festival.
What a wonderful group of people we had yesterday for the walk of witness (part 1) from Brampton Abbotts to Ross.
There’s an opportunity to join them for part 2 this evening (from St Mary’s Church to Walford Church). Meet at St Mary’s today (Tuesday 16th April) at 5.30 pm.
We are delighted to report that the Revd Sean Semple has been appointed as the next Rector of the Benefice of Ross with Walford and Brampton Abbotts.
Sean is currently the Incumbent in the Weobley and Staunton Group of Parishes (7 churches) and so is no stranger to Hereford Diocese. Prior to his appointment there, in 2015, he has worked in the Presbyterian and Anglican Churches in South Africa, and in the Anglican Church in Cyprus. Sean was born in South Africa.
He will be moving to Ross later in the year (date to be confirmed) with his wife Jenny and son Lex. Sean and Jenny have four older children currently living in South Africa, North Carolina and Scotland.
We look forward to welcoming them to Ross.
Many will be aware that there is major building work going on at Brampton Abbotts Church. You can learn a lot about what’s going on in this recently releases film.
We’re about half way through phase 2 of the reordering work at St Mary’s and the spaces that already opening up now that pews are almost out of the way are very attractive – a sight not seen since 1862.
We are keeping the church open when possible, that is now most of the time but please be careful when visiting.
If you’re interested in a pew there are still one or two left and we’d like to get them out of the church as soon as possible. Please contact us. There is more on pews (and reordering) at http://www.reordering.org
