NEWS
2024
Revd Jo's Ordination
Jo Byrne, our Reader was ordained Deacon by Bishop Nick at Ripon Cathedral on Saturday 29th June, and will be serving her curacy in the new Aire Benefice. Our love and prayers go with Revd Jo as she starts this next stage in her ministry. Photograph courtesy of the Diocese of Leeds Facebook Page (Revd Jo cente right, next to Bishop Nick)
Revd Margaret moving to a new Parish
On Sunday 16th June it was announced that Revd Margaret will be leaving South and North Elmsall for a new parish. She has been appointed part-time Vicar of Welton with Melton in the East Riding Archdeaconry of the Diocese of York. Revd Margaret will be moving in September, and will be collated as Vicar at the Parish Church of St Helen's Welton on Thursday 3rd October at 7.30pm by the Bishop of Hull.
Revd Gemma moving to a new Parish
On Sunday 26th May it was announced that Revd Gemma, having successfully completed her curacy with us here at St Mary's and St Margaret's, has been appointed as Interim Priest in Charge for the Gipton and Oakwood Benefice in the Leeds Episcopal Area.
Revd Gemma will be licensed to her new role on Thursday 12th September 2024 at Epiphany Church, Gipton by Bishop Arun.
Whilst we will be sorry to say goodbye, we are happy to see her progress, and are wishing her well in her new role. She will continue to work in our parish until Sunday 18th August.
Give to Go Green Appeal Success!
We were faced with a real challenge at the start of February, but thanks to all our fantastic supporters giving their time and their cash, we did it! Between 3rd February and 16th March we raised £4,658, which, added to the £3,900 match funding from Give to Go Green, gives us a grand total of £8,558. And not only have we raised the money, but we've also had some great times at the events held along the way.
This means we can now go ahead with our plans to replace the old gas boiler system that heats the upper and lower main rooms in our Church Halls with electric radiators - which will help us reduce our carbon emissions and be more sustainable for the future, whilst keeping our Halls warm enough to use throughout the whole year.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this project - we couldn't have done it without each and every one of you.
2021
Havest Weekend 2021
A big thank you to everyone who
helped to support the events over
our Harvest weekend this year
(1st - 3rd October).
The Social Evening on Friday
raised £314 for Church funds and
the Havest Collection raised £208
for Christian Aid.
Revd Gemma arrives as Curate
Sunday 4th July
Following her ordination as Deacon by Bishop Nick at Ripon Cathedral yesterday, we are very pleased to welcome Revd Gemma Fleury to the Parish this morning as our new Curate.
New Parish of South Elmsall and North Elmsall
It has been confirmed by the Church Commissioners that as from 1st January 2021 our Parish boundaries will be extended, so that as well as covering South Elmsall and Moorthorpe, they will also include North Elmsall, Upton and Wrangbrook. Our new name will be The Parish of South Elmsall and North Elmsall, with Revd Margaret continuing as Vicar and looking after both Churches, St Mary's in South Elmsall and St Margaret's in North Elmsall.
This website will be updated shortly with more information, so please keep visiting, and following our Facebook page to keep up to date with everything that is happening in the new Parish.
2020
New Curate coming to St Mary's
On Sunday 13th December Revd Margaret announced that Mrs Gemma Fleury, who is to be ordained deacon on 3 July 2021, will serve her Title Post at St Mary South Elmsall.
Members of the congregation at St Mary's are looking forward to welcoming Gemma as a full time curate in the parish, and will be keeping her in their prayers over the coming months as she works towards her ordination.
Public Worship resumes at St Mary's
We are delighted to announce that public worship will resume at St Mary's this weekend. The first service will be at 7pm on Saturday 4th July with a shorten Easter Vigil service when we will light our new Paschal candle, followed at 10.30am on Sunday 5th July with said Mass accompanied by organ music.
Services will also continue to be live-streamed on our Facebook page for those who wish to join from home, as will the Open Church times for private worship.
Church Re-opening
Further to the recent relaxation in Covid
regualtions, Revd Margaret and the
Parochial Church Council have agreed
that St Mary's will re-open for private
prayer from Wednesday 17th June, on
Sundays between 3pm and 5pm and on
Wednesdays between 9.30am and
11.30am.
A one-way system will be in place, hand sanitizer
stations will be available for use on entry to, and
departure from, the building, and clear indicators
(gold ribbons) in place to show which seats are
available for use to enable 2 metre social distancing.
See our preparations on our facebook page here
Due to the Covid restrictions still in place, public worship remains suspended until further notice.
2019
Christmas Band Concert
Once again, Carlton Main Frickley
Colliery Band and A N Abrahams
combined to bring festive cheer to
St Mary's on Friday 6th December.
The wonderful programme of music
was a joy to hear. We are very
fortunate to have such taelnted musicians performing as part of our community.
The evening also raised a
much-needed £760 for church
maintenance funds. A huge
thank you to everyone
involved!
New Altar Cloth in St Christopher's Chapel
A new Altar cloth has been donated
for use in St Christopher's Chapel in
memory of the late Jack Turton.
It commemorates the town's mining
history, featuring a miner's lamp,
helmet, shovel and pick axe.
St Margaret's North Elmsall
Following the retirement of the Revd Stephen Hotchen, the plan has been announced for Revd Margaret Gallagher to become the Priest in Charge of St Margaret's North Elmsall, covering North Elmsall and Upton, whilst continuing as the Vicar of South Elmsall.
Details of how this will work in practice will be agreed in the coming months, and shared as soon as possible.
We are looking forward to this new stage in the life of both parishes, and are holding all those involved in the planning process in our prayers.
2018
Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band Christmas Concert
A big thank you to the Band, A N Abrahams, and everyone who supported this fantastic community evening and musical celebration which raised over £750 for Church funds.
Revd Margaret new Area Dean of Pontefract and a new Assistant Priest for St Mary's
Bishop Tony licensed Revd Margaret as the Area Dean for Pontefract at Mass on Wednesday 14th November. At the same service, Revd Sue Hulme was licensed as Assistant Priest at St Mary's.
St Mary's wil be Revd Sue's "home base" as she carries out her ministry across the Pontefract Deanery supporting different parishes as and when required.
2017
Christmas Band Concert
On Friday 17th December we were delighted to welcome Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band for a festive celebration at St Mary's, getting us all in the mood for Christmas.
The retiring collection raised a fantastic
£633 for Church Funds.
A big thank you to the Band, A.N. Abraham
Funeral Directors and everyone who attended
to make this such a special event
New Reader at St Mary's
Jo Byrne has been licensed as a Reader in the Diocese of Leeds and will be serving with us here at St Mary's. Following the licensing during Parish Mass on Sunday 3rd December, Jo preached for the first time at St Mary's. After the service, members of the congregation enjoyed sharing a celebratory glass of fizz. Here are a few photographs of the occassion
Remembrance Sunday 2017
Revd Margaret & members of St Mary's joined this year's act of commemoration at the war memorial followed by a service in church on Sunday 12th November. Photographs courtesy of Ian Oxley, South Elmsall British Legion.
Harvest Weekend 2017
St Marys celebrated harvest over the weekend of 22nd – 24th September this year.
We began with a Ceilidh Dance with the Huntsman’s Chorus on the Friday evening, and enjoying a pie and pea supper.
On Saturday afternoon Messy Church had their Harvest Festival, listening to the story of the Hungry Caterpillar, making fruit to hang on a tree, and thinking about how God gave human beings the responsibility to care for His creation. We ended by enjoying a piece of fruit from a local tree.
On Sunday morning, harvest was celebrated at the Parish Mass with the added blessing of a Baptism. The celebrations concluded on Sunday afternoon with Songs of Praise and Harvest of Talents in which we were able give thanks for our many and varied gifts.
Throughout the weekend gifts of non perishable foods were offered for the use of the Westfield Foodbank.
The Big Lunch
On Saturday June 10th around 60 people gathered at St Mary’s for the Big Lunch.
This has become an annual event at St Marys and was held this year to coincide with “Jo Cox, the Great Get Together”. A sunny afternoon meant that we were able to enjoy a BBQ in the Vicarage gardens where children enjoyed playing on the garden toys. In the halls a craft table allowed them to be creative and we were entertained with a dance display from Sugarkane School of Dance. A good time was had by all.
We hope that this social event will continue to feature on our calendar giving the community a chance to get together.
