Subject: News from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin

Arrangements for Public Worship


by the Revd Dr William Lamb


In the light of recent government announcements, we will be making a number of changes to the arrangements for public worship over the next few weeks. Given that the infection rate in central Oxford remains relatively high, we are going to proceed cautiously. 


Track and Trace The first change you will notice is that there will be no need to book online for our services. The NHS QR code will remain displayed at the entrance to the Church, and we will ask people to continue to use it at their own discretion. We will not be taking contact details at the door. 


Seating Arrangements We will no longer impose seating restrictions in the nave, although we will retain social distancing in the north aisle (this will include the choir pews under the Martyrs’ Memorial. This will ensure that spaces are reserved for anyone who is anxious about going back to being in close proximity to others. The rest of the church will be available for people to sit where they please (although there will be certain places close to aisles where we may place some restrictions).


Face Coverings  We will continue to ask people to wear masks when entering the Church. Although this is no longer a legal requirement, we encourage you to wear a mask over the next few weeks. The infection rate in Oxford remains high and we want to keep everyone safe and healthy. 


Hand Sanitiser We will continue encourage people to use the hand sanitiser when entering the Church and when they receive communion during the service. The hand sanitiser stations will remain in place and will be kept full, at the entrance to the Church, the tower and into the Chancel and in the centre aisle during Sunday services. 

Communion Communion will remain in one kind for the time being. We will await further guidance about the restoration of the common cup. We will start to reuse the De Brome Chapel for distributing communion in August.

After Service Coffee We will continue to have coffee outside following the 10.30am service, to enjoy the weather while it lasts, and to spend time together in a place where we don’t have to worry too much about ventilation. As the autumn approaches, we will move inside. It will also be possible to serve sherry along with tea and coffee.  

Singing The government guidance permits the return of congregational singing. We are planning to proceed cautiously with this for the time being. This Sunday there will be a hymn at the offertory, and we will gradually increase the amount of congregational singing as the months progress. In September, we plan to have a voluntary choir to sing parts of the service. The choir will remain in the Chancel when singing for services. 


Finally, I want to thank all of you for your patience. It has not been easy to negotiate government guidance in the last 18 months. We want to ensure that everyone remains safe in the next few weeks and months and we hope to see you all again soon at St Mary’s.

Sunday 25 July: St James


There will be three services on Sunday 25 July.


8.30am - Holy Eucharist in the Chancel. Preacher: The Revd Dr Jane Baun


10.30am - Sung Eucharist in the Nave. Preacher: The Revd Susannah Reide

This service is livestreamed.


17.00pm - Choral Evensong in the Nave. Preacher: Dr Sarah Mortimer, Reader

Introit – Rejoice in the Lord always
Preces and Responses – Byrd
Psalm – 94 
Canticles – Gibbons, from the Short Service
Anthem – O Lord, the maker – Mundy


Organ Recitals at St Mary's

Along with the 8.30am and 10.30am services, on Sunday 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 August, there will be an Organ Recital at 3.30pm at St Mary’s. Please make a note in your diary.

August 1st - Alexander Pott  ( Magdalen College)
August 8th - Simon Bell ( Tewkesbury Abbey)
August 15th - Robert Quinney (New College)
August 22nd - James Brown ( The University Church)
August 29th - Carleton Etherington  (Tewkesbury Abbey)

Online Worship:


Every Sunday, we livestream the 10.30am service on our YouTube channel.


Please subscribe to our social media channels to ensure you see the videos in your newsfeed and you are alerted to all our other online events coming in Hilary term.

Book your visit to the Tower online


The Tower is now open and you can book a ticket online for your visit at the link below. You can find more information as well as our Terms & Conditions on our website.

Online Bookings

Notices


Music for a Royal Consort - Saturday, 24 July, 7.30pm

A concert of works associated with Royal Consorts from Queen Caroline onwards, with special reference to the late Prince Philip 1921 - 2021. Includes pieces by Handel, Elgar, Britten and Prince Albert.

Tickets £12 (students £8) from www.cherwellsingers.org 


COMMUNITY EMERGENCY FOOD BANK (CEF) CEF, based at St Francis Church, Cowley, provides nutritionally balanced food parcels for individuals and families in temporary crisis or hardship. If you would like to help, please put your donations of non-perishable foods into the CEF box which can be found in the Adam de Brome Chapel every Sunday. Currently there is a particular need for tinned vegetables, fruit, meat and fish, longlife milk and juices, and practical toiletries - but all donations welcome.


Gravestone geology on show - Exhibition feat Holywell Cemetery

17 July - 12 September 2021, Weston Library

For geologists – whether amateur, student or professional – almost any urban cemetery provides a valuable opportunity to carry out scientific field work at leisure, right on the doorstep and at no cost. Because gravestones are made from a wide variety of rock types formed in a range of geological settings cemeteries can be geological treasure-troves.

Many gravestones are made of polished stone, so reveal details such as minerals and crystal features that are not easy to see elsewhere. Some demonstrate textures and mineral compositions in igneous rocks. Others reveal sedimentary structures and fossils, and provide clues to Earth movements and environments that existed hundreds of millions of years ago.


The Geology of Oxford Gravestones, a new exhibit in the Blackwell Hall, Weston Library, Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG, highlights the geological features and social history revealed in Oxford graveyards. Curated by geologists Nina Morgan and Philip Powell, honorary associates at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the exhibit demonstrates the wide variety of rock types and geological features that can be seen in graveyards throughout Britain. The exhibit runs from 17 July to 12 September. It’s free to visit, there is no need to book -- and there is a great café on site!


For further information see: https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/geology-oxford-gravestones or www.gravestonegeology.uk


John Henry Newman: Scholar, Sage, Saint - Online Symposium

20 Sept - 22 Sept 2021

The canonization of John Henry Newman in October 2019 has increased public and academic interest in him. A controversial figure during his own lifetime, Newman’s legacy remains contested by scholars. This conference will explore John Henry Newman as:

A Scholar: Newman influenced the academic landscape during his lifetime through his time at Oriel, his academic foundations, and his published works.

A Sage: Newman gained a reputation for providing reliable and wise advice early in his career—a reputation which he maintained after his reception into the Roman Church in 1845.

A Saint: Newman studied the lives of the saints and recommended them as exemplars of Christian behaviour. Newman’s work and life invite discussion on the relationship between sanctity and saintliness.

More information and how to register here:https://newmanstudies.org/news-and-events/2021-fall-conference#about


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