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We are looking for volunteer Welcomers to welcome visitors to our beautiful historic church.

The Welcomer should be someone who likes and gets on with people no matter who they are; is pleasant, open, polite, kind and personable.

Our visitors are the general public who are local, national and international, and from all walks of life. People will come in to look at the building – its architecture and history, or they might just come in to be quiet in a sacred place.

No previous experience is required; you will be shown what to do.
Hours of opening can be found on our ‘Home page’.

If you are interested, please contact our Church Wardens – details below.

Chris Phillips
Tel: 0116 429 5381 / 07801 653896
email: stmarydecastroleicester@gmail.com
Alan Fletcher
Tel: 0116 244 8680 / 07780 607063
email: stmarydecastroleicester@gmail.com

By Andrew Green

It is with great sadness that we learnt last week of the passing of John Bence, organist and choirmaster at St Mary’s for over 50 years, following a three-year battle with Alzheimer’s. John was a remarkable man in so many ways and his contribution to the music at St Mary’s and further afield will never be forgotten. He established a fine choral tradition over many years which was enhanced each Christmas when he invited other singers to join the choir for the carol service – always on the first Sunday after Christmas and with John’s own individual style always evident.

John had always had an interest in Early Music and in 1989 established the Leicester Early Music Festival. Initially this started as a three-day event over the late May Bank Holiday weekend with most events being held at St Mary’s. The festival soon became a great success and ran for thirty years, quickly expanding to a three-week event and attracted some of the leading exponents of Early Music including Emma Kirkby, The Sixteen and Michela Petri. As the festival expanded, further venues were used including Leicester Cathedral, The Guildhall, St Nicholas Church, the old costume museum and even some hostelries! Events also became more wide ranging including wine and whisky tastings and festival dinners. John also ran an annual come and sing choral workshop on the late May Bank Holiday morning at St Mary’s. This involved an intensive morning’s rehearsal followed by singing what had been learnt at the lunchtime mass. The amount of work involved in arranging the festival each year was phenomenal and is testament to John’s unfailing dedication and work ethic.

John also founded the Longslade Consort in 1979 – this was initially a group of ex pupils from Longslade School Birstall where he was Head of Music who wanted to carry on their music making under him after they had left. This gradually developed into an Early Music group and ran for almost forty years giving concerts across the country and bringing Early Music to people who wouldn’t otherwise have heard it.

There is so much more that could be said. John was a fine organist, teacher, instrument builder, tuner and repairer. (He single handily kept the increasingly failing organ at St Mary’s in working order). An excellent cook, dinner companion and someone who could put their hand to almost any DIY task! Most importantly a friend to so many and someone who has touched the lives of so many. RIP John- we will miss you.

“NEW LIFE FROM GOD….

….NEW LIFE FOR GOD.”

 

A series of sermons at the 11am Mass

over 3 Sundays in Lent

with Fr Chris.

Sundays 25^th February and 3^rd and 10^th March.

Exploring God’s gifts to us and our response.

Two weeks ago, Sali Shobowale from the Leicester Mercury visited SoundCafé at St Mary De Castro Church. Click on the link to view the full article.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/leicester-based-choir-giving-homeless-9022773

 

This is the text from the article just in case you are not able to open the link.

 

In the heart of the city centre, a charity is on a mission to give homeless people and rough sleepers a voice in their local community. SoundCafe Choir uses the power of music and song to instil confidence and purpose in the city’s most vulnerable groups.

Soundcafe was piloted in 2014 by Reverend Helen Hayes before being formally recognised as a charity the following year. Although the foundation initially started as just a singing group, it has since teamed up with other organisations such as Leicester City in the Community and Leicester Samaritans to host other beneficial sessions throughout the week including creative writing, health and fitness and arts and crafts.

The charity meets three times a week at St Mary de Castro Church, just a stone’s throw away from De Montfort University. Choir director Trounson said that the charity and its volunteers are fighting to help homeless people in Leicester “find their voice”.

She said: “It’s been proven that singing has both physical and mental health benefits. The guests often have diverse needs and issues regarding both of those things, and I think singing is one of the best things you can do to alleviate stress.

“It transports you away from the troubles and hardships of life. You can leave those at the door temporarily, and just let yourself go and that is the kind of environment I try to create for the guests when they come to SoundCafe.”

“Being a part of a team gives them a sense of belonging and purpose.”

Emma has drawn upon her own professional music experience to be able to teach the choir members about the technical skills of singing. She said: “We look at how our guests can use, warm up and look after their voices.

“The guests want to produce something to the highest quality that they can and having performances to work towards makes them feel more committed. A lot of our guests are encouraged by other organisations to get back into work, so we are teaching them transferable skills such as communication and confidence, which is important if they are going into a work situation.”

Leicestershire Live visited the choir to hear about its impact on its members. 66-year-old Barbara Wilson said: “I’ve loved meeting people and coming to the choir and singing.

“I’d never sung before joining SoundCafe, and initially I was nervous to sing in front of people, but everyone here is so lovely and welcoming, so that put me at ease. I really look forward to coming to rehearsals every week.

Michelle Townsend, 35, said: “I’ve only been coming for a year, but we have a lot of fun, a lot of laughs, and I’ve made a lot of friends. I don’t have a favourite singer or song, but I’ve enjoyed all the songs we have sung so far.”

Deborah Connolly has been a member of the choir since its inception and said that her favourite song to sing is Somewhere Over the Rainbow. She added: “I’ve made a lot of friends since coming here. We’d really love to see more and more volunteers coming to help us out.”

55-year-old Helen Roweth joined the choir four years ago. She said: “It’s all about building friendships and coming together to sing and put on concerts. I enjoy singing solo parts because it enables me to make my voice heard and I love it when the audience participates and sings along.

“I like rehearsing in the church too because it’s very echoey. I’ve been in a church choir before but it’s different here.”

Jason Newcombe, 51, was first introduced to the choir in 2014 whilst he was living on the streets. He said: “I heard about the choir through some of my friends who had already joined. They brought me along to one of the sessions, and I’ve not looked back since.

“I like singing in the choir, especially when it comes to performing at concerts. We’ve done loads of performances in the city centre and I’ve made loads of friends. I even help some of the other members at the SoundCafe too.”

If you would like to volunteer or join the SoundCafe choir, visit the SoundCafe website.

This Christmas the Servers were performing their duties in their new cassocks and surplices. And very fetching they looked too!

Stephen, one of the Servers, was happy to provide a list of duties that they perform as part of the service at St Mary de Castro.

Stephen says “Serving in the Church is very important. You are serving are Lord.”

There are many things that a Server can do.

At the start of the service, the entrance procession is lead by the thurifer carrying a thurible containing burning incense, a crucifer carrying the processional cross and flanked on each side by acolytes carrying lighted candles.

The Servers attend to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helping bring up the gifts, and bringing up the liturgical books, among other things.

The Servers were also proudly wearing their Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary medals. The Guild supports Altar Servers and arranges special services for worship and fellowship.

If you would like to know anymore about the Servers at St Mary de Castro or the Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary, please stay after the service and ask one of the servers. They are very easy to spot and will be happy to speak to you.

Latvian Lutherans are in full Communion with the Church of England and therefore with the whole Anglican Communion. For the last couple of years, St Mary de Castro have hosted our Latvian Lutherian brothers and sisters for their monthly celebration of the Eucharist.

 

This year’s Christmas Eve service made the news in Latvia and a video of interviews with Daira Vavere, Dean of the Latvian Lutherans in England, and some of the congregation was shown on television this week!

The video is of course in Latvian, but I hope you will enjoy it. An extract of the video can be found on our Facebook page. Click the link below to see the full news report.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/arzemes/26.12.2023-lielbritanijas-latviesi-pulcejas-uz-ziemassvetku-dievkalpojumu.a536710/

 

A Google translation of text from the website is below. Please forgive the grammar and translation error. Google cannot accurately translate, but has a very good try!

 

British Latvians gather for Christmas service

Authors: Ilze Kalve (author of Latvian Television and LSM.lv in Great Britain)

In Britain, compatriots have gathered for Christmas services in several places in both London and Central England. At one time, religion was one of the unifying factors of exiled Latvians, which has lost its importance today, however, pastors in the diaspora are honored and respected, and services are still held.

In the church built in 1107, the name of which translates as St. Mary’s Church near the palace, King Richard III himself once prayed, but nowadays the Latvian congregation is also welcome in the repeatedly rebuilt premises.

Daira Vāvere, a spokeswoman for the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in the UK (LELBL), said: “It would be 916 Christmases here, and for our, the Latvian congregation, it is the second Christmas that we celebrate here in this church. But in Leicester, Latvians have been gathered since the founding of the church, here in the UK, when the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Great Britain was formed in 1948.”

The Central England congregation is led by a pair of pastors – Viesturs Vāvere and Daira Vāvere, who a year ago became the first woman in history to serve as presiding officer of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Great Britain.

“The basic task of the clergyman and pastor is to gather compatriots around the word of God, around the sacrament in the church, which is also our main task. And, of course, to ensure that continuity,” she explained.

In the sermon, everyone was called to become a carrier of light and goodness, because only in this way can one live in peace and harmony in these insecure times.

Brunis Vishnyakov, a parishioner of Central England, admitted: “We come with joy, with gratitude. Of course, with our repentance, as we sinners are. But we come with the hope that we will worship here, and we will unite with Christ, and receive Christ’s blessing for us, in our families, in our nations.”

For her part, parishioner Agnese Stepāne said: “We are very happy to have such a pastor and Daira who gives us everything we need, and peace and harmony in the family. And a blessing in this world! Such a terrible time that something is happening everywhere…”

Interestingly, there are a large number of gentlemen in the parish of Central England.

Maris Randers, a parishioner, said: “I believe and I hope more girls will come, that there are so many gentlemen already. The right place to meet, not in a pub! It’s better to be here.”

On the 3rd Sunday in Advent 2023, Fr Chris Oxley replaced the sermon he had originally intended to deliver at our 11:00 mass with the attached letter, which he read from the pulpit. The letter is below:

Blessed Advent from Jerusalem

By Fr. David Steffy, L.C., Charge of the Holy See

December 7th, 2023 – Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

Greetings from the Holy Land where we unite our prayers and intentions with each of you at the beginning of the Holy Season of Advent.

Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year lasting four Sundays and ending on Christmas. It is a time to prepare our hearts anew for the coming of the birth of Christ. Christ was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago as a sign of his saving love for each of us. Celebrating his birthday each year gives us the chance to experience the power of his love and presence in our hearts so his love and life may be the model and inspiration for our own.

This prayer of Renee Swope, “The Manger of My Heart,” expresses this mystery:

This Advent, Lord, come to the manger of my heart.

Fill me with Your presence from the very start.

As I prepare for the holidays and gifts to be given,

Remind me of the gift You gave when You sent Your Son from Heaven.

The first Christmas gift, it was the greatest gift ever.

You came as a baby born in a manger.

Wrapped like the gifts I find under my tree,

Waiting to be opened, to reveal Your love to me.

Restore to me the wonder that came with Jesus’ birth,

When He left the riches of Heaven and wrapped Himself in rags of earth.

Immanuel, God with us, Your presence came that night.

And angels announced, “Into your darkness, God brings His Light.”

“Do not be afraid,” they said to shepherds in the field.

Speak to my heart today, Lord, and help me to yield.

 

 This is a beautiful prayer, but perhaps like me, many of you are wondering where is his light? In so many places around the world, and especially now in the Holy Land, the stories reveal more darkness than light. Faced with such tragedy and suffering, with no end in sight, it is easy to let the darkness seep into our hearts and to doubt God’s presence. Yet, this Advent season need remind us that the reality of sin, evil and suffering can wake us up to trust more strongly what we know is true in our hearts. Love conquers all.

 

So let us look to the light of his love to wake us from a sense of comfort and complacency. Let us commit ourselves to allow his light to enter into our hearts and those of our families and communities. Let us bring light to the darkness of our daily lives, and trust that his light will grow so strong that all darkness will one day be turned to light.

More than even, we need the wonder of Christ’s birth to inspire in us hope filled repentance. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” (Isaiah 9:2) Christ is this light, and now is the time to combat the darkness of sin and evil by following his way. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life (John 8:12).

Because of the war, Advent and Christmas in the Holy Land will be different this year. Our Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa along with the other patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem made the following statement on November 10, 2023. “We, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, call upon our congregations to stand strong with those facing such afflictions by this year foregoing any unnecessarily festive activities. We likewise encourage our priests and the faithful to focus more on the spiritual meaning of Christmas in their pastoral activities and liturgical celebrations during this period, with all the focus directed at holding in our thoughts our brothers and sisters affected by this war and its consequences, and with fervent prayers for a just and lasting peace for our beloved Holy Land.”

 

Thank you for all of your outpouring of prayer, concern, and support. Your kind donations are providing extra help for the staff of Notre Dame in most need. We will have an Advent lunch with all our staff where we can continue to focus on His light and blessings amid the sorrowful situation we are experiencing. We are translating many of your messages of goodwill into Arabic to share them with our staff.

May your Advent preparation be deep and enduring.

Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us.

 

Sincerely in Christ,

Father David Steffy, L.C.

As we start to think about Advent, the period of preparation looking towards the celebration of the birth of Christ, we have some special services and concerts to look forward to.

On Sunday 2^nd December at 4 pm there will be an Advent Carol Service led by the De Montfort University Chamber Choir.

 

On Monday 4^th December at 2pm The SoundCafe Choir will be performing a selection of well-known songs and carols. This is a very informal concert, and the audience is welcome to join in the singing.

 

 

On Friday 8^th December at 7.30pm it will be the Leicester University Chamber Choir Christmas Concert.  The tickets are £12 (£6 for students) and includes mulled wine and mince pies.

 

 

Please also check our Upcoming Services and Events for information about our services during Advent and Christmas.

On Sunday 29^th October, Leicester Cathedral held the High Sheriff of Leicestershire’s Justice Service at St Mary De Castro. As an introduction to the service, Virginia Wright wrote a short history of St Mary de Castro and referred to several historical legal connections.

 

 

St Mary de Castro is a church with over 900 years of history and is one of the oldest in Leicester. The suffix “de Castro” or “of the Castle” was to distinguish it from the Abbey Church of St Mary. It has been at the centre of Leicestershire’s history, lying adjacent to the Castle which has played an important historic role in upholding the law within the County.

It is possible St Mary de Castro’s roots go back to Saxon times, owing its origins to Aethelflaed (Ethelfloeda), Lady of the Mercians, but there is no written evidence of this. In 1107, Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester, founded the present church for use by himself and his family living in Leicester Castle.

A courtroom was based in Leicester Castle’s Great Hall from 1273 until 1888. It was then used as the County Courts until 1990. Its use for over 800 years is one of the longest in England.

It is believed Chaucer married his second wife, here in 1366. Leicester Castle hosted the Parliament of Bats in 1426 – so-called because those attending were not allowed to carry swords, so armed themselves with clubs, or bats. The King at the time, Henry VI (below), was knighted in St Mary de Castro.

Richard III was the last monarch to stay in Leicester Castle and it is said his body briefly rested in the church after his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. During his reign he enacted several laws that still have a significant influence on the legal system today, such as the concept of bail and legal aid.

In May 1882 there was trouble between the judge sitting at the Castle Court and the bellringers of St Mary de Castro. The bells of St Mary’s rang out in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday and the judge struggled to hear the testimony of the witnesses, so he sent the Police Constable (PC) on duty over to the church to tell the ringers to stop, they refused. Twice the judge sent the PC over to stop them ringing, each time there was a brief pause before they started up again. The judge then threatened to make ringers pay for any expenses arising from adjournment. The bells only stopped after being ordered to by the vicar.

St Mary de Castro Church is a Grade I listed, scheduled monument dating from the twelfth century. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) would like to utilise the space under the church tower to share with visitors the long history of St Mary de Castro from 1107 to today.

Whether you live in Leicester, have visited the church or surrounding attractions, we would like to hear from you. Your feedback will help us enhance the experience of visiting this unique place.

Please fill in the questionnaire via this link to have your say about how the history of St Mary de Castro is told in the future.

Or you can access the questionnaire on your mobile phone by using the QR code below.