Home > St Mary's Today

The Church in Uffington Today. St Mary's Church exists to celebrate the love of God and to meet the spiritual needs of the whole village community. All villagers are welcome to the church, and not just for weddings, baptisms and the Christian festivals. We offer both formal and informal styles of worship (see below) and the church is open most days for private thought and prayer.

Uffington is one of four parishes in a group (or 'benefice') which also includes Shellingford, Woolstone and Baulking. The Vicar of Uffington has responsibility for all four parishes, and is assisted by one additional priest, Canon Jim Payne, and the Ministry Team. Our local bishop is the Right Reverend Andrew Proud, Bishop of Reading.

Sunday Services. St Mary's and her sister churches offer a variety of styles of worship. The One Family Service, held on the first Sunday of the month, is an all-age informal service based around a theme from the Bible or everyday life, and featuring songs, drama and reflection. At the heart of the service is a pause for refreshments, when an activity is also offered for small children.

The current monthly pattern of Sunday services at Uffington is:

All villagers and visitors are made most welcome to our Service of the Word and Holy Communion services. The Service of the Word is a simple service without communion but with readings and biblical reflection. At our communion services, members of all Christian denominations are invited to receive the bread and wine, and anyone can come forward for a blessing.

Children and Young Adults. Our youth group ‘Ignite’ caters for teenagers with a varied mix of activities, and meets on Monday evenings, under the leadership of Duncan Saunders (Tel: 01367 821002)

The Vicar. The Vicar is the Reverend Rosanna Martin, who lives in Uffington Vicarage opposite St Mary's. She may be contacted on 01367 820633 (except Mondays).

Born in Berlin and brought up partly in Scandinavia, Rosanna was one of the first women to be ordained priest in 1994. At one time Curate at Stanford-in-the-Vale, she went on to head a church 'plant' in association with Christ Church Abingdon. Her career has also included spells with the Church Commissioners, Mark Warner Holidays and Blue Circle Cement. She is married to Peter and has two children, Dominic and Helena.

Ministry Team. Other members of the Ministry Team are:

The pattern of services in all four parishes in the benefice is shown on the ‘Weekly Sheet’ displayed on the notice boards in the church and the Post Office Stores.

Baptisms and Marriages. We look forward to welcoming babies and children into the Church by baptism, and we value the commitment of parents and godparents to bring up children in the Christian faith. Baptisms are normally arranged for a Sunday morning service, when the whole church family can welcome new members. St Mary's is a popular venue for church weddings - please consult the Vicar or churchwardens as early as possible when making your plans. Weddings will not be arranged for the month of August.

Joining In. St Mary's plays a central part in the village's celebration of Christmas, Easter, Harvest and of course Remembrance Day. We hold a ‘Songs of Praise’ on the White Horse Show ground on August Bank Holiday Sunday. Summer lunches are offered on Wednesdays in the village hall during June and July, and Teas in the church every Sunday from June to September inclusive.

Upkeep and Maintenance. The organisation of the church's activities and building maintenance is in the hands of the PCC and Churchwardens (see below). We are grateful to the many villagers who work hard to maintain the church and its worship. These include church cleaners and flower arrangers, sidesmen and women, bell-ringers and those who join the monthly churchyard working parties.

Churchwardens. For all practical aspects of church life you should refer first to the churchwardens, who are currently:

Your Church. We welcome your comments as to how the church and/or this webpage can better meet your needs.