St Mary's News

You may have noticed the smart Notice Board in position near the entrance to St Mary’s.

This was provided from funds raised by Friends of St Mary’s in agreement with the PCC to ensure notices are displayed externally to advise attendees and visitors about:

• Regular service times

• Key contact information

• How to access the church outside of service times and the PCC website

King’s Wood Benefice is now in Interregnum.  (The Rev’d Cathy Sigrist retired in December 2023). What does that mean?

“The interregnum in the British Isles began with the execution of Charles I in January 1649 (and from September 1651 in Scotland) and ended in May 1660 when his son, Charles II, was restored to the thrones of the three realms, although he had been already acclaimed king in Scotland since 1649. During this time, the monarchial system of government was replaced with the Commonwealth of England.” (Wikipedia)

Happily, an interregnum in the Church of England does not require an execution to have taken place, but it is the period between one Priest-in-Charge/Vicar leaving and their successor being appointed.  The PCC of each parish has a key role in overseeing the arrangements to keep the church functioning well in the interregnum and in the process of selecting a new vicar.  In particular, the burden falls onto the Churchwardens who take on the leadership and legal responsibilities of an incumbent and, together with the Archdeacon and PCC, are responsible for the decision-making in running your parish church.

(Thanks to Fay Dawes for this explanation)

Churchwardens for St Mary’s are:

Maureen Taylor                     01227 362359

George Kennedy                   01227 730363