Coronavirus/COVID-19 update
​Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Mendlesham


 Coronavirus/COVID-19 prevention measures. 
​THIS WILL BE UPDATED AS NECESSARY. PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK.

​UPDATED 12/04/20
St Mary's church is closed until further notice.

Fr Philip will continue to offer Mass and pray the Offices each day at home for the needs of the congregation, the parish and the wider world, especially remembering all affected by the pandemic.
  • Easter Sunday Mass can be accessed here
  • Good Friday abridged and adapted liturgy can be accessed here (please remember the videos are home produced!) The Passion reading incorporates some images from the Lumo Project) 
  • Maundy Thursday Mass can be accessed here. (apologies that, due to camera interruption during filming, opening prayer & Gloria were omitted.)
  • The special online bulletin for Sunday 5th April (Palm Sunday) can be downloaded here
  • A printable version of the bulletin can be downloaded here
  • A Youtube video of Fr Philip celebrating Mass at the Vicarage on Palm Sunday - 5th April can be accessed here - and Mass offered on 4th April can be accessed here. They are not of professional quality but are produced for the benefit of the congregation who are missing their usual worship.
  • Mass live-streamed  on Easter Sunday  celebrated by the Bishop of Fulham at 11.00 can be accessed via the following link:  https://www.facebook.com/BishopOfFulham/
  • Details of  Holy Week/Easter videos can be found here
  • Please continue to pray for each other, for the needs of the parish, the world and particularly at this time for all affected by the pandemic and all key workers. Prayers you can use at home can be found through the link: https://churchunion.co.uk/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/imagemanager/files/Resources_FINAL.pdf

  • We are maintaining contact with members of the congregation through email and a phone tree. If you have not yet been contacted and would like to be added to this list, please send a request through the Contact page.​​
  • C of E guidance can be found at: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches and this is updated regularly.

  • A link to the resources available on the website of the diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich can be accessed here: https://www.cofesuffolk.org/

  • We also need to care for each other during this time. As we cannot leave donations in church for the Stowmarket foodbank, please try to donate to foodbank collections in local supermarkets during this time or donate directly through the Stowmarket Foodbank website:  http://www.livingit.org.uk/foodbank/
 
‘By our service and by our love, Jesus Christ will be made known and the hope of the gospel – a hope that will counter fear and isolation – will spread through the land.’
 
For any pastoral need, contact:
Fr. Philip Gray, Mendlesham Vicarage, Tel (01449) 766359 or send a message via the CONTACT page
​
Prayer for all those affected by Coronavirus
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy.
Sustain and support the anxious,
be with those who care for the sick,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may find comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Preparing for Holy Week

A message from the Bishops of The Society

At this time of national emergency, we remain acutely aware that the needs of those directly affected by the Coronavirus, and the necessity to limit the risk of infection, make a legitimate demand on our behaviour. As the nation suffers and grieves, let us be constant in prayer and in our public duty to stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.


The sense of loss we all feel from the necessary closure of our churches for public worship is heightened as we approach the most important week of the Church’s year, Holy Week. Nevertheless, there are spiritual benefits which can and will flow to us from a faithful observance of Holy Week in our homes. We should be diligent in our reading of scripture and in our recitation of the Church’s cycle of prayer. To supplement these activities, there is a growing body of liturgical resources available digitally.


For our own part, we shall be issuing a series of short videos to aid devotion and prayer at home during Holy Week. They have been professionally produced and, we hope, will be attractive to a wide audience. The videos will be made available at the following times here.
  • Palm Sunday at 8am.
  • Maundy Thursday at 3pm.
  • Good Friday at 12pm.
  • Easter Day at 8am.


The first verse of Psalm 130 speaks to our current circumstances: “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.” May we urge a prayerful keeping of Holy Week as we look with confidence to the joyful celebration of Easter in our homes.


+ TONY WAKEFIELD
The Rt Revd Tony Robinson, Bishop of Wakefield,
Chairman of The Society’s Council of Bishops

+ GLYN BEVERLEY
The Rt Revd Glyn Webster, Bishop of Beverley

+ PHILIP BURNLEY
The Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Burnley

+ MARTIN CICESTR: 
The Rt Revd Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester

+ JONATHAN EBBSFLEET
The Rt Revd Jonathan Goodall, Bishop of Ebbsfleet

+ JONATHAN FULHAM
The Rt Revd Jonathan Baker, Bishop of Fulham

+ NORMAN RICHBOROUGH      
The Rt Revd Norman Banks, Bishop of Richborough