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Welcome to Old Saint Martin's Old St Martin’s, or St Martin’s-in-the-Cornmarket, Worcester, is a City Centre Parish Church which for many years has stood firmly in the Catholic tradition within the Church of England. At the heart of our life and worship is the celebration of the Eucharist…the great Thanksgiving for all that God our Creator has done for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which are recalled and made present as we do what Jesus commanded us to do at the Last Supper; and this is the service which, whenever it is celebrated, re-forms a congregation as the People of God. We know it also as the Mass, the celebration from which we are ‘sent out’ in the power of the Holy Spirit to work for the Kingdom of love for whose coming all Christians pray in the Lord’s Prayer; and so the Mass is celebrated here not only on Sundays, but on four weekdays as well. We believe that it is our calling to offer the Mass in a way which speaks of the wonder of a God who is beyond human words, and yet makes Himself present in the Person of Jesus Christ, ‘who lives today in bread and wine’. Vestments, music, incense, the stained glass and the statues which remind us of the ‘great company of witnesses’ surrounding us, these encourage us to use all our God-given senses to ‘worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness’ (words inscribed over the arch in front of the High Altar). But we also believe that because God took human flesh in the person of Jesus (the ‘Incarnation’) we must be concerned with and for the real world around us. That is why we are currently exploring the possibility of improving and renewing the approaches to the Church and its surroundings, as well as our Parish Room, in order to strengthen our witness within the local community. This exploration is going on as a major new commercial development takes place just a short distance from the Church; the recent installation of a new ring of ten bells, on which we hope that many young people will learn to ring, is already helping to put us ‘on the map’ In the meantime we seek to be a welcoming congregation, ready to involve newcomers in the life of the Church, or to ‘take their time’ to feel at home with us; no one will look askance at you for not knowing all the intricacies of genuflections and signs of the Cross! These are not easy times for those seeking to sustain the Catholic tradition within the Church of England; yet the strength of Anglicanism lies in an honest and creative living with diversity. So at Old St Martin’s we are not ashamed to emphasise the forms of worship and the disciplines which are built upon the sacraments, the ‘outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace’ (Book of Common Prayer Catechism)…the water of baptism, the bread and wine of the Eucharist, the oil of healing, the spoken word of absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It should be noted that Resolutions ‘A’ and ‘B’, relating to the ministry of ordained women in Parish Churches, are currently in force. For some years St Martin’s has been part of the ‘Worcester City Parish’ with All Saints, Worcester and St George’s Barbourne. However, this arrangement is being discontinued, so that ‘Old St Martin’s with St Swithun’s and St Paul’s’ will be a separate parish when the legal process is completed. (It’s worth noting that St Paul’s was the parish served in the 1920s by the famous Fr Studdert Kennedy (‘Woodbine Willie’), who would surely approve of our desire to serve the local community more effectively). Technically, the parish is in ‘vacancy’, although it is served by a non-stipendiary Associate Priest, Fr Andrew Greany, who combines his ministry at St Martin’s with the post of Chaplain at the near-by Laslett’s Almshouses. 
Healing services and laying on of hands Following up on some of the issues which were discussed at the away day, Fr. Andrew's sermon on Sunday 15 January will be on the Church's Ministry of Healing, and that in future, once a month, there will be laying-on of hands with prayer for healing at one of the weekday Masses Sermons Recent sermons are available from the links below. A more complete set can be found on the Sermons page. Second Sunday of Eastertide 2012 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Easter Day 2012 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Lent 5 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Lent 3 - Christian Giving Review Sermon - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Lent 2 - Christian Giving Review Sermon - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Lent 1 - Christian Giving Review Sermon - (Fr. Andrew Greany) 3 before Lent - Christian Giving Review Sermon - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Epiphany 2, 2012: The Church's Ministry of Healing - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Advent 3, 2011 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Advent 2, 2011 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Advent 1, 2011 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Christ the King, 2011 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Last after Trinity, 2011 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) Harvest, 2011 - (Fr. Andrew Greany) 2nd after Trinity, 2011 - "I am gentle and lowly in heart" (Fr. Andrew Greany) Lent 1 - "if you are the Son of God..." (Fr. Paul Tongue) Weekly notices Items for the pewsheet Items for next week's pewsheet should be given or e-mailed to the Parish Office by Thursday morning at the latest. Click here for a printable version of this week's pewsheet Hall available for hire Our hall at St. Swithun's Institute, The Trinity, is available to hire and has some vacancies during day and evening. Kitchen facilities if needed. If you need a venue in the centre of Worcester for meetings, community functions, dance lessons, fitness classes, musical or similar events - regular or occasional - please ring Brian on 01905 25952 Mon to Friday, mornings, for more information. Click here for further details and photos. |
Click here for a printable pew sheet including this week's service and notices. Saturday, 19 MaySt Dunstan, Bishop 12.00: Mass Intention: The blind and partially sighted Sunday, 20 May Seventh Sunday of Easter 09.45: Sung Mass Tuesday, 22 May Feria 12.00: Mass Intention: Spiritual Guides Wednesday, 23 May Feria 10.30: Mass Intention: Openness to the Holy Spirit Thursday, 24 May The Wesleys 11.00: Mass at St. Lawrence, Laslett's Almshouses 19.00: Mass Intention: Christian Unity Friday, 25 May The Venerable Bede 12.00: Mass Intention: Church Historians Saturday, 26 May St Augustine of Canterbury 12.00: Mass Intention: The Archbishop of Canterbury Sunday, 27 May Pentecost Sunday 09.45: Sung Mass 11.45: Mass at St. Lawrence, Laslett's Almshouses 16.00: Advent Carol Service Tuesday, 29 May Feria 12.00: Mass Intention: The Church’s Healing Ministry Wednesday, 30 May Feria 10.30: Mass Intention: Churchwardens (admitted today)  Visit our Liturgical Calendar page for full details of all forthcoming services. Sunday May 20th Preacher at Sung Mass: The Rt. Revd Jonathan Baker, Bishop of Ebbsfleet and Assistant Bishop of Worcester |