150th Anniversary of Consecration

Principal celebrations and events

 

Wednesdays in Lent at 7.00pm from 21 February to 20 March

Lent Course - A Snowfall of Words: five poets through Lent
Led by The Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark
Click here to listen to the podcasts.

Saturday 27 April at 6.30pm

Gala Choral and Organ Concert
The musicians of St Mary’s Bourne Street and special guests perform sacred and secular music from across the ages

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Sunday 5 May at 11.00am

High Mass and May Procession
Guest Preacher: The Right Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark

Tuesday 21 May to Saturday 25 May daily outside service times

Vestment and Flower Festival: The Play's the Thing

Our beautiful church will explore the theme of "liturgy as theatre" as we host a Festival of Flowers and Vestments to celebrate our 150th anniversary.

The church will be cleared of pews and filled with spectacular flower displays alongside an exhibition of historic floral-themed vestments, which are worn by the clergy throughout the religious year. These include sumptuous brocades, silks, satins, gold-embroidered textiles and rare pre-Reformation garments from the 15th century.

The festival will examine how theatre, with its playful language of colour, costume and metaphor, informs our richly expressive Anglo-Catholic services.

It will also convey how flowers, from lily-of-the-valley to roses and hyssop, allude to Biblical teachings and express a profound sense of the sacred.

Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 May 10am-5pm; Saturday 25 May 10am-1pm.

Sunday 2 June at 6.00pm within the Octave of Corpus Christi

Solemn Evensong, Procession and Benediction

Tuesday 2 July at 7.00pm

Dedication Festival, Procession and Benediction
Guest Preacher: The Right Revd and Right Hon The Lord Williams of Oystermouth, former Archbishop of Canterbury

Saturday 14 September from 12.00 noon during London Open House Weekend

Study Day - St Mary’s Bourne Street: Art and Architecture

The Church of St Mary’s is, architecturally and artistically, one of the most distinguished Anglo-Catholic mission churches of the late nineteenth century in London.

Since its consecration in 1874, the church has been the subject of near-continuous enrichment, embellishments and expansions. The outstanding architectural and historic interest of the building is recognised by a Grade II* listing by Historic England and the neighbouring Presbytery is listed at grade II Like so many mission churches of this type, the elevation to the street is a sombre and austere one but this belies the opulence and magnificence of the decoration and fittings of the interior, and the stunning contemporary design by Matthew Lloyd Architects of the new community facilities completed last year.

The Study Day will for the first time explore in detail how the Church came to be founded and its considerable contribution to nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first century art and architecture. The day will draw together experts in their field and whilst concentrating upon St Mary’s will set the church in a wider context and will be of interest to all those involved with similar buildings and institutions.

Speakers

  • Michael Yelton - Martin Travers and his work at St Mary’s
  • Edmund Harris - R. J. Withers at 200 and St Mary’s at 150: The life and work of the Architect of the Church
  • Alan Powers - Stylistic Affinities: H. S. Goodhart-Rendel at St Mary’s
  • Kenneth Powell - Roderick Gradidge and St Mary’s
  • Alex Sherrat - Carving the Pineapple: The Twenty-First Century at St Mary’s

Chaired by Alexandrina Buchanan

The study day will begin at noon with coffee. A fork luncheon will be served and tea in the afternoon. The day will conclude with a drinks reception at 5.30.

Details of how to book can be found here in the event flyer.

 

More details about all events, including access, refreshments, and ticketing information where applicable, will appear on this page as it becomes available, together with news of other events and projects, including organ recitals, further guest preachers, and videos on aspects of the faith