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Music this week

Choral services at St Mary’s Kidlington this week

This week is a busy one for our choirs! This Sunday 11th February the choristers are singing at the 10am service, including Vaughan Williams’ “Come my way, my truth, my life”. On Wednesday 14th February the adult choir will be singing at our 8pm Ash Wednesday service, including the Byrd 4-part Mass and Byrd “Miserere Mei”. Then on Sunday 18th February the adult choir will be singing at our 5.30pm Choral Evensong, including the Gibbons Second Service and the Purcell “Hear my prayer, O Lord”. A feast of Lenten music to mark the season!

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Coming Social Events

Starry Starry Nights

We are planning an Astronomy evening at St Mary’s Kidlington led by retired Professor of Astrophysics Roger Davies. It’s hard to say when exactly as it will depend, of course, on there not being cloud cover. So the way we are approaching it is to ask anyone interested to register using this form. No internet, no problem, just ring Andy on 01865-985242.

Jesus Christ, Superstar

A church outing to the theatre – Superstar will be coming to the New Theatre, Oxford, on 6th to 12th May and we are planning a Parish Outing. If you want to come, express your interest here. Again, if you have no internet, just ring Andy on 01865-985242

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Tea Talks 2024

St John’s Church, 3pm, Sundays 28th January, 11th February, 10th March

Our series of Winter Tea Talks is well underway. We started in January with our very own Andy Pedley talking about his love of bees.

Following soon after, on Sunday 11th February, David Meara talked about one of his old haunts – St Bride’s Fleet Street.

Finishing on 10th March with , ‘Rolled, flat or folded? – The presentation and preservation of traditional Japanese paintings’, where Philip Meredith, the Higashiyama Kaii Conservator of Japanese Paintings Emeritus, Museum of Fine Arts Boston USA, will explain the specialized techniques used to present and display Japanese paintings.

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Christmas Services

Services for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

  • Sunday 24th December – Holy Communion, 8am, St Mary’s Kidlington
  • Sunday 24th December – NO SERVICE 10am, St Mary’s Kidlington
  • Sunday 24th December – Parish Holy Communion with Nativity Play, 10am, St John’s (Order of Service) – This will be livestreamed.
  • Sunday 24th December – Christingle, 3pm, St Mary’s Kidlington (Order of Service)
  • Sunday 24th December – Crib Service, 4pm, St John’s (Order of Service)
  • Sunday 24th December – Carol Service, 5pm, St Mary’s Hampton Poyle (Order of Service)
  • Sunday 24th December – Midnight Mass, 11pm, St Mary’s Kidlington (Order of Service)
  • Sunday 24th December – Midnight Mass, 11.30pm, St John’s (Order of Service)
  • Monday 25th December – Christmas Holy Communion, 10am, St Mary’s Kidlington (Order of Service)
  • Monday 25th December – Christmas Holy Communion, 10am, St Mary’s Hampton Poyle (Order of Service)
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Christmas Tree Festival

We’re all set to go – so do come along: Saturday 16th 10am to 4pm, Sunday 17th 11.30am to 4pm

This year we are holding our first ever Christmas Tree Festival in St Mary’s Kidlington for two days, concluding with the Community Carol Service at 5.30pm on the 17th. We are hoping that organisations and individuals will sponsor and decorate their own tree and fill the church with Christmas joy. The theme is “The Spirit of Christmas”, and the money raised will go to this year’s chosen charities, SANDS and EDUKID. SANDS seeks to reduce the number of babies dying and supports anyone affected by the death of a baby, during or shortly after birth: www.sands.org.uk. EDUKID, a charity set up by a former youth worker in the parish, works to remove the barriers to education faced by children living in poverty and conflict: www.edukid.org.uk.

Refreshments will be available throughout the weekend.

If you would like to take part or support this event in any way please contact David Meara, david.meara14@gmail.com

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Vigil for Peace

Violence and hatred can never be the solution

We are aware of the need to draw the diverse communities of Oxfordshire together in this time and renew bonds of friendship and a common commitment to peace.

We invite all people of goodwill from across Oxfordshire who can come together for a vigil for peace in Broad Street in Oxford on Sunday 5 November at 5pm.

There will be short reflections, shared grief and words of comfort offered. We will light our candles together at 5.15pm, standing in silence as an act of solidarity with those who suffer on all sides of the conflict.

Together, we are horrified by the violence that we are seeing in Israel and Palestine, and the suffering of ordinary people who have lost loved ones and who fear for their own lives and for friends and family members. We hold all the victims and their loved ones in our prayers.

We stand together here in Oxfordshire as religious and community leaders to say that we must continue the good work of community and relationship building that has taken place over many years.

We support and encourage all those working to facilitate honest and respectful conversations and to strengthen the network of good relations, friendships and trust between our communities of which we in Oxfordshire are so proud.

Let peace and understanding be the solution.

Martin Goodman, President of the Oxford Jewish Congregation

Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford

Imam Monawar Hussain Founder, The Oxford Foundation

Councillor Susan Brown Leader of Oxford City Council

See the full list of faith and community leaders at oxford.anglican.org/vigil

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Prayer for the Holy Land

O God of all justice and peace, we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land. Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths – Jews, Muslims and Christians and for all people of the land. While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom, where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children, for to all of us you are our Heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The Very Revd Canon Richard Sewell, Dean of St George’s College Jerusalem.  

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New for Christmas 2023

Christmas Tree Festival – St Mary’s Kidlington, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th December

This year we are holding our first ever Christmas Tree Festival for two days, concluding with the Community Carol Service at 5.30pm on Sunday 17th December. We are hoping that individuals and organisations will sponsor and decorate their own tree and fill the church with Christmas Joy. The theme is “The Spirit of Christmas” and the money raised will go to our two chosen charities for this year, SANDS and EDUKID.

SANDS seeks to reduce the number of babies dying and to support anyone affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth: www.sands.org.uk.

EDUKID, a charity set up by a former youth worker in the parish, helps to remove the barriers to education faced by children living in poverty and conflict: www.edukid.org.uk.

If you would like to take part or support this event in any way please contact David and Rosemary Meara for further details and an application form: david.meara14@gmail.com

Carol Singing around the streets of Kidlington, from 6pm,Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th December – also in aid of SANDS and EDUKID

Do you love singing carols in the open air? Or are you good at knocking on doors with a charity money bucket? These two evenings are for everyone of all ages and whether or not you can sing. Each evening we will visit a few streets who have been leafletted in advance (can you do a leaflet drop for us the week before?) We will sing under the lamp posts and try to finish in a pub or house for mulled wine and mince pies. Please put the dates in your diaries and tell others – lots of people like singing carols and everyone is welcome. Any musicians out there who would like to come along and accompany us?

We have done this for many years in Hampton Poyle and you are also welcome to join us on Tuesday 19th December in Hampton Poyle.