Details of our Church services can be found on the Services page. 

Thanks for taking a look at the  website for the Parish Church of St. Mary, Radcliffe, to give it its full title. I would like to give you a brief overview of our church -  its purpose, its people, its buildings, - before you look at the other pages in more detail.

The Life of Our Church

Worship: the main activity of the church.

People are drawn to worship God for many different reasons. For some it is the familiar practice of a lifetime that gives meaning to everyday life. For others it is through the unexpected discovery of a need for a spiritual dimension to their lives. Some come to church in sadness when life is difficult, others in the joy of marriage or baptism.

Here our main service is the Sung Eucharist at 10.30 a.m on Sunday mornings.

In the communion service.  we offer the best we can of our lives and  of the fruits of our lives to praise God in body, mind and soul.

Community

In our worship we turn towards God seeking guidance and renewal of life, and as we engage together  in that  church we find a growing sense of community with other Christians and those of similar values.

We are very involved with our fellow Christians in Radcliffe.

- we are in a Team Ministry with the Parish Church of St. Thomas and St. John, Radcliffe

- we belong to Radcliffe Churches Together, an ecumenical group

- we take part in the life of Radcliffe and Prestwich Deanery

We also do our best to serve the wider community.  In several different ways we support the work of  Radcliffe Hall Primary School; of Bury Hospice and the Bealey Community Hospital.

The People of our Church

We have about 120 people on the Electoral Roll. Around 50 communicant adults attend each Sunday, and fluctuating numbers of children too. The majority live within the parish boundaries or the wider town of  Radcliffe, and  some live slightly further afield.

In the 1991 census the population of the area was put at 4161 souls.

The parish boundaries are quite easy to follow on a map: the River Irwell to the east and south; the Manchester, Bolton and  Bury Canal on the north side, and Bridgefield Street on the west side.

The Church Building and Churchyard

There has been a church on this site since at least the twelfth century, and most probably earlier. What you see as you look around St. Mary's is a reflection of the lives of those who have used this church throughout those centuries, as well as evidence of the history of  Radcliffe and of the Christian Church in England.

But far from being a museum, it seeks to be a living link with the meaning of the  events which took place in  the Holy Land twenty one centuries ago. The structure of the church mirrors the life of Jesus and the faith he lived. His baptism in the Jordan is echoed by the font where new Christians are baptised, and the Last Supper in Jerusalem by the altar where the eucharist is celebrated. In our prayer and worship we respond to the same God who inspired the early Christians in Palestine and the missionaries whose story led to the foundation of this church.

The churchyard is still open, and though recently subject to vandalism, is a well cared for and much cherished sacred space for the local community. 

© 2008