September 2026
The articles below include the 2 pages which the parish church is allotted by the Mendlesham Community Charity in their newsletter but there are additional items too.
To see daily Mass times, see Worship page.
To see daily Mass times, see Worship page.
Times of Mass this week
Sat 5th Sep St Teresa of Calcutta
10.00 am. 1st Mass of Sunday
Sunday 6th Sep - 23rd of Year A
9.30 am Parish Mass and Address
Mon 7th Sep: 1.30-2.25 Exposition of Blessed Sacrament for silent prayer
2.30pm Mass, laying on of hands and anointing for healing.
Tues 8th Sep: BIRTHDAY OF OUR LADY (Feast)
9.30am Mass
10.00am Tea, coffee, cake in church
Wed 9th Sep: 8.00am Mass
Thurs 10th Sep: 9.30am Mass
Fri 11th Sep: 9.30am Mass
Sat 12th Sep: (Ride and Stride Day - Suffolk Historic Churches Trust)
10.00am 1st Mass of Sunday (readings as Sunday)
4.00pm Sacrament of Reconciliation
Sunday 13th Sep: 24th Year A
9.30am Parish Mass and Address
10.00 am. 1st Mass of Sunday
Sunday 6th Sep - 23rd of Year A
9.30 am Parish Mass and Address
Mon 7th Sep: 1.30-2.25 Exposition of Blessed Sacrament for silent prayer
2.30pm Mass, laying on of hands and anointing for healing.
Tues 8th Sep: BIRTHDAY OF OUR LADY (Feast)
9.30am Mass
10.00am Tea, coffee, cake in church
Wed 9th Sep: 8.00am Mass
Thurs 10th Sep: 9.30am Mass
Fri 11th Sep: 9.30am Mass
Sat 12th Sep: (Ride and Stride Day - Suffolk Historic Churches Trust)
10.00am 1st Mass of Sunday (readings as Sunday)
4.00pm Sacrament of Reconciliation
Sunday 13th Sep: 24th Year A
9.30am Parish Mass and Address
Healing Ministry
The healing ministry is an integral part of the Gospel and an important aspect of the life of St Mary's. All are welcome and of course there is no charge. Healing services are quiet and meditative and you will not be asked any intrusive questions. Please contact Fr Philip if you would like to discuss any aspect of this. |
Choose your own route: 50% of sponsorship each to SHCT and St Mary's Mendlesham church building. Help in any way you can, either by participating, sponsoring or signing in visitors. Forms from Andi Elstone; sign list on table in church if you're willing to spare an hour to sign in visitors. Taylor and Anne are cycling together and hope to visit about 25 churches. You can sponsor them on their forms in church or online: Anne: https://www.justgiving.com/page/anne-gray-mendlesham26 Taylor: https://www.justgiving.com/page/taylor-birch-mendlesham26 |
ARMOURY PROJECT - Summary of where we are: (Updated Sept 2026)
Thanks to generous donations of both money and time, the Armoury Fund now stands at £25,700. It has already covered some essential travel and subsistence costs for members of the armour specialist team during their study and care of the armour.
Recent news: In late July, Simon Metcalf and David Edge spent three days meticulously cleaning the armour to support its long-term preservation. Although they were unable to complete the work and will need to return, they made a huge difference. Shona Rutherford-Edge also carried out a thorough clean of all the nooks and crannies of the armoury, including the display cabinet. This cleaning is helping to inform the final version of the condition survey undertaken by David, Simon and Dr Toby Capwell.
Once the survey is fully completed, including any further findings from the cleaning, the next stage of planning conservation and display requirements can begin. Work is also under way on a comprehensive catalogue.
We are immensely grateful to David, Shona, Simon and Toby for their dedication, hard work and extraordinary generosity in giving so much of their time to this project. Aside from travel and subsistence -- and we are also most grateful to John and Kathleen for hosting some of the visits -- the only costs to the Armoury Fund so far have been cleaning materials.
You can read the latest news: 'FIrst stages in cleaning and conservation of the Armoury collection' from a newsletter written by Shona by clicking here for the Armoury Project page.
Recent news: In late July, Simon Metcalf and David Edge spent three days meticulously cleaning the armour to support its long-term preservation. Although they were unable to complete the work and will need to return, they made a huge difference. Shona Rutherford-Edge also carried out a thorough clean of all the nooks and crannies of the armoury, including the display cabinet. This cleaning is helping to inform the final version of the condition survey undertaken by David, Simon and Dr Toby Capwell.
Once the survey is fully completed, including any further findings from the cleaning, the next stage of planning conservation and display requirements can begin. Work is also under way on a comprehensive catalogue.
We are immensely grateful to David, Shona, Simon and Toby for their dedication, hard work and extraordinary generosity in giving so much of their time to this project. Aside from travel and subsistence -- and we are also most grateful to John and Kathleen for hosting some of the visits -- the only costs to the Armoury Fund so far have been cleaning materials.
You can read the latest news: 'FIrst stages in cleaning and conservation of the Armoury collection' from a newsletter written by Shona by clicking here for the Armoury Project page.
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Major fundraising: £12,460, including:
Heritage Fair £7.6K TudorTailor talk £1.1K Armoury Conference £1.9K Booksales (additional to those at fundraising events) £1.1k Kathleen Hallaways talks and booksales £1027.50 much was seedfunded by ta grant of £9,993 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £1k from Suffolk County Council |
Major donations: £13,800, including those from:
The Arms and Armour Heritage Trust The Arms and Armour Society The Meyrick Society and several private individuals. |
Donations welcomeIf you would like to give towards the Armoury Project,
You can make a secure Card Payment online via 'Give a Little' - click here or on the image to the right (or below if using a phone or tablet). Donations by BACS : Bank: CAF Bank (Charities Aid Foundation) Account Name: PCC of Mendlesham Sort code: 40-52-40 Account No: 00021464 Reference: your surname and ARMOURY To read more about this important project, click here |
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Publications about the Armoury and its contents
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Mendlesham possesses a unique 16th & 17th Century Armoury complete with original arms and armour. It also has a wealth of contemporaneous parish records. Thanks to funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, a group of volunteers was able painstakingly to photograph, transcribe, record and research entries from over 130 documents stored at Suffolk Archives, Ipswich, to provide more valuable insight into its history. These are the results of that research.
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'Mendlesham Armoury Revisited - Revelations from the Parish Archives.' -
a booklet by the Mendlesham Armoury Research Group. Describing the project and discoveries made in Parish manuscripts about the arms & armour and the soldiers who used it, viewed from a local perspective and posing some interesting questions. ONLY 3 remaining copies available 64 pages: £11.50 incl p&p £7.50 for Mendlesham residents and those able to collect |
'Transcriptions of the Mendlesham Armoury Archives' -
a book by Shona Rutherford-Edge, with contributions by the Mendlesham Armoury Research Group. Transcriptions from the manuscripts about the Armoury, its artefacts and local families of those relating to the arms & armour within the wider historical context. ONLY a few remaining copies available 240 pages: £20 inc p&p £15 for Mendlesham residents and those able to collect |
'The Mendlesham Armoury' - the booklet which describes and explains the 'why, what and where' of the Mendlesham Armoury. This booklet was published thanks to generous localities grant by Suffolk County Council in 2024 via Councillor Jessica Fleming
The Mendlesham Armoury
by historian Shona Rutherford Edge. 32 pages: £7.50 inc. p&p. £5 for Mendlesham residents and those able to collect. 
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Click here to go to order forms. *If you live locally and are able to arrange to collect copies, they are, of course, cheaper without p&p. Please send a message via the order form.
Book:
Mistress Kathleen's Kitchen
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Research and Recipes by Kathleen Hallaways in her Tudor Food Demonstration at the Mendlesham Heritage Fair in May 2024.
Kathleen is selling this 68 page book on Tudor Food Price: £10
Copies available at: M&M Butchers, Stowupland, Diss Museum
or contact Kathleen directly, either by email here
or phone: 01449 782100
Thank you, Kathleen, for the huge amount of time and effort you have put into this!
Kathleen and John's combined efforts have now raised over £1000 for the Armoury Facelift Project.
Kathleen also gives talks to local History groups, WIs, U3A groups etc. She has one talk about Tudor Food and another about Mendlesham's Armoury. Please contact her using the phone number or email link above if you would like her to give a talk to your group.
