Following the news that the Archbishop of Canterbury intends to resign his post, here is a copy of a letter sent to those on the weekly mailing list at Haverhill and Withersfield: I expect you

Following the introduction of a bill to legalise assisted dying to parliament, and a recent discussion with Nick Timothy MP on the subject, there are some further reflections from the church's point of view

We are pleased to host a public Q&A session on Thursday 31st October 2024 from 5.30pm to 7pm with Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk, about the Terminally Ill Adults Bill, which

We are pleased to welcome Catherine Cox, an ordinand from Westcott House, to Haverhill over the summer. Cat will be with us as she continues her discernment and formation for ministry. Cat writes: ‘I

St Mary's is pleased to host a hustings for the General Election, in collaboration with REACH Community Projects. All eight candidates for the West Suffolk Constituency have been invited, and seven have confirmed their

On Monday 20th May 2024, the Archdeacon of Sudbury joined us for a celebration of mission and ministry in the benefice, and collated, inducted and installed the Revd Max Drinkwater as rector on behalf of

Haverhill was pleased to host a live screening of St Nicholas Hospice Care's Thankful service at St Edmundsbury Cathedral. The service celebrated 40 years of care in West Suffolk and Thetford, including Haverhill. Blue

Congratulations to two candidates confirmed at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Sunday 5th May by Bishop Martin. David and Jayne were both presented at the service as part of a cohort of 21 candidates from across

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich has advised us that, as of Monday 15th April 2024, the suspension of presentation to the benefice of Haverhill and Withersfield is lifted. As such, the Revd Max

The Annual Parochial Church Meetings take place at Haverhill on Monday 15th April and at Withersfield on Thursday 9th May. Annual Reports can be viewed for Withersfield and Haverhill, to be received by their respective

Haverhill Science Festival comes to the town for the first time this year in April. On Monday 22nd April at 7pm, St Mary’s Church is hosting a talk from Professor Russell Cowburn, arrange

After a period of consultation, discussion and discernment, Haverhill PCC recently voted in favour of resolutions permitting the use of prayers of blessing with unmarried couples in a same- or opposite-sex relationship, at the

This year’s Lent reflections use the Church of England’s Watch and Pray campaign. Here are some ways to join in: - join the discussion on Wednesday lunchtimes over homemade soup, from 12pm

The bells of St Mary’s Church, Haverhill rang out on Sunday afternoon, 4th February, in celebration of the 90th birthday of local bellringer and community champion, Gordon Adams. Six people gathered to ring

Over the last few years, the Church of England has undertaken a process of conversation, consultation and discernment known as Living in Love and Faith. This is an ongoing process looking at issues surrounding identity

The clock at Withersfield, including the gilded clock face on the outside of the tower and the mechanism, has been repaired and restored in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth

Join us for service and events throughout the Advent and Christmas season: Saturday 2nd December Walking Nativity from the Methodist Church at 12pm (Y) Sunday 3rd December Advent Carol Service at 6pm (S) Tuesday

On Sunday 5th November we look forward to welcoming Bishop Martin Seeley, our diocesan bishop, to the 9.30am Welcome Eucharist. He will preside at the service and offer confirmation. Confirmation is for those who

Introducing the new Welcome Eucharist on the first Sunday of the month at St Mary's! This is a service suitable for everyone, whether you have been a life-long worshipper in the Christian faith

We are pleased to be registered with the Welcome Directory, becoming part of a network of faith communities across the country who are open to welcoming and appropriately supporting prison leavers. St Mary's is

As part of our discernment of how to minister alongside children, young people and families, we are starting a programme of regular Messy Church events. These are usually on the 3rd Saturday of the month

We are hosting a quiet afternoon at Withersfield on Saturday 3rd June with professional bray harpist and musicologist Leah Stuttard, whose research into the life, writings and music of Margery Kempe offers a unique perspective

The Annual Parochial Church Meetings take place at Haverhill on Monday 24th April and at Withersfield on Friday 19th May. You can view the annual reports for Haverhill and for Withersfield.

Celebrate Holy Week and Easterwith us in Haverhill and Withersfield2-9 April 2023 Prayer Station open all week at Withersfield: Palms of Triumph Palm Sunday 9.30am Procession of Palms and Eucharist (service begins outside

We are launching the Family Café on Friday 24th March, providing a hot meal for those who need it and a space for families and children to come together. Families are asked to book

The World Day of Prayer is a global, ecumenical movement led by women, inviting everyone to pray for particular places and people and the needs that concern them. This years resources come from women in

This year's Lent study in Haverhill and Withersfield uses the Church of England's resources called #DustAndGlory. There are daily reflections available as a published booklet for children or adults, or sign up at

On Sunday 11th December, the Venerable David Jenkins, Archdeacon of Sudbury, joined us for the 9.30am Eucharist and commissioned four people as new Pastoral Assistants in the benefice, and affirmed the desire of two

All are welcome to join us for services and events over the Advent and Christmas season! Services at St Mary's, Haverhill unless otherwise indicated. Sunday 27th November 5pm: Advent Carol Service Friday 2nd December

Our annual service of commemoration of loved ones departed is on Sunday 30th October at 3pm. All are welcome either in church or online via Facebook or YouTube, and refreshments will be served afterwards. The

Like many churches, we are concerned about the rising cost of living and in particular heating costs. With Haverhill and District Churches Together and in association with Warm Welcome UK, we plan to open some

Could you Sponsor a Stone at St Mary's? St Mary's in Haverhill is in need of much needed repair work, and we are launching the Sponsor a Stone campaign to raise awareness and

Following the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the church is open for private prayer, to light a candle and to sign the official book of condolences. There are also various services and

There are lots of events planned around Haverhill and Withersfield for the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, organised by different community groups. The church and churchyard will be decorated for the occasion, with

Holiday club is back for summer 2022! Join us at the space academy from Tuesday 2nd to Friday 5th August. Blast off is at 10am each day, with touch down at 12.30pm followed by

Details for services for Holy Week and Easter 2022: Palm Sunday 9.30am Procession of Palms and Eucharist (processing outside, weather permitting) 11am Elevenses Monday of Holy Week 7pm Taizé Service Wednesday of Holy

The Annual Parochial Church Meetings will be at Haverhill on Monday 25th April 2022 at 7pm and at Withersfield on Friday 6th May 2022 at 7pm. The meetings are held in the relevant churches, and

We are excited to be opening the community café on Saturdays again, from Holy Saturday, 16th April 2022. Morning Prayer will be said at 9.30am on Saturdays, in a simple said service to

St Mary's in Haverhill is hosting a Vigil for Peace on behalf of Haverhill and District Churches Together in light of events in Ukraine. This is a space to pray, reflect, lament, question and

The church tower at Withersfield is in need of repair. There is a substantial hole in the east side of the tower, which will require specialist work to correct, as well as other high level

On Friday evenings during term time, starting from the 4th March, we are hosting a new youth group known as ³C ('the three Cs: collectively connecting Christians'). This is for older teenagers and the

There are a number of groups running during Lent in and around Haverhill, to which all are welcome. Lent groups are a way of focussing our attention on God's nearness and activity in our

All are welcome to our parish carol services, at Withersfield on Sunday 19th December at 4pm and at Haverhill on Wednesday 22nd December at 7pm. These will include carols, music, readings and prayers as we

UPDATE: St Nicholas Hospice Care are no longer able to host this service, to protect the patients, staff and volunteers at the hospice. There will be online services broadcast from Tuesday 21st December on the

Come and sing your favourite carols and celebrate the work of REACH in the local community: Thursday 16th December at 7pm at St Mary's, Haverhill. As well as carols and readings for Christmas, there

This year Haverhill & District Churches Together are staging their first outdoor nativity! On Saturday 4th December, starting at Haverhill Methodist Church at 12pm, the Christmas story will be told with live actors, a live

Join in with carols from your doorstep by tuning in to BBC Radio Suffolk at 6pm on Wednesday 15th December. More information and a carol sheet with all the words you need to take part

The Mayor of Haverhill, Cllr Liz Smith, hosts the civic carol service at St Mary's on Wednesday 8th December at 7pm. All are welcome, as members of the community join together to share this

For anyone ages 7+, we are offering a chance to get together and celebrate this Christmas with a gaming party! From 12 until 2 on Saturday 11th December, come and play the latest consoles including

On Advent Sunday, 28th November, we are holding a reception at 3pm to celebrate the Revd Max's first year with us, and to welcome him to the parishes as we were not able to

St Mary's is partnering with the National Literacy Trust on their campaign Get Suffolk Reading. Tracy Sevenoaks, our licensed evangelist, is a local literacy champion and is helping to promote reading amongst children in

Remembrance Sunday this year is Sunday 14th November, which will be marked in Haverhill with a civic parade starting from the Arts Centre, arriving in Market Square at 1015 and reaching the War Memorial in

The annual Suffolk Historic Churches Trust 'Ride & Stride' takes place on Saturday 11th September 2021, and both Withersfield and Haverhill are taking part. Many churches of different denominations are open during the day to

Our Patronal Festival for both churches is kept this year on Sunday 5th September, the Feast of the Nativity (birth) of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Haverhill will be decorated with extra flower arrangements, and this

On Saturday 7th August, a working party will gather in the churchyard at Withersfield to do some general gardening and maintenance, removing ivy from the wall and some gravestones, cleaning the path and repainting the

The Friends of St Mary's in collaboration with Haverhill Arts Centre are hosting a painting party in Haverhill churchyard on Saturday 14th August, encouraging art inspired by the church building and its surroundings. All

On Sunday 29th August, before many children, staff and teachers head back to school following the summer break, there is an opportunity for a back to school blessing. Bring you school bag or rucksack along

Listen in to BBC Radio Suffolk on Tuesdays in August to hear the vicar reflect on the day-to-day activities of a vicar in summer. Following on from a series he did as a

This summer we are offering two children's craft days, with activities and games for children on Tuesdays 3rd and 17th August. Please contact Diana, our Children and Families Minister, for more information and to

Have you heard of the famous pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain? The relics of St James are kept there, and pilgrims over the years have made the journey - a spiritual journey as

We are taking part in Haverhill Town Council's Join Up Day on Saturday 17th July from 10.30am to 2.30pm, when Market Square will be filled with stalls promoting a wide variety of

Cpt Andrew Payne CA worked with us in Haverhill for a number of years, and amongst many other things established Elevenses on a Sunday and Café Church on a Friday as regular services in

The Friends of St Mary's are organising a Have a Go Day on Saturday 10th July from 10am to 12.30pm, giving you the opportunity to try out various musical instruments associated with the

We are pleased to be welcoming the Revd Wendy Norris as our new assistant curate in Haverhill and Withersfield. She will be ordained as a deacon in St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Saturday 3rd July, the

The Archdeacon's Visitation, when churchwardens for the coming year are admitted to their office, will be online again this year, on Sunday 30th June at 7pm. Jane Eccleston will be admitted as churchwarden of

Suffolk Day is on 21st June each year, and is a chance to celebrate the vibrant and diverse life of our county of Suffolk, give thanks for our blessings and pray for the people and

St Edmundsbury Cathedral invites representatives of parishes and parish groups to arrange flowers, and this year Karen Williams has kindly done this from Withersfield, in readiness for the services on Sunday 20th June. Karen's

Armed Forces Day is observed every year in Haverhill with a convoy of military vehicles through town, flag raising ceremony and other events and activities. This year, Haverhill Churchyard, along with Market Square and St

The Community Café at Haverhill is reopening on Friday mornings from Friday 11th June, from 10am until 12pm. All are welcome to come in for tea, coffee and biscuits or cakes, or just for

Ecclesiastical Insurance are offering £1000 awards to local charities in their Movement for Good campaign, and we are encouraging you to nominate Haverhill REACH for this award - the more nominations they receive, the greater

The Elevenses service at Haverhill for families and children is returning to the church building! It has been running online for the last fourteen months (with a brief spell back in the community area in

There has been a long tradition of praying for healing, wholeness and well-being in Haverhill, and we are pleased that we are able to offer an opportunity for this important ministry again. On the

Are you looking to be confirmed?  In this short video, Max introduces confirmation and explains what it means to be confirmed in the Church of England:   Here is the Confirmation Service that took

We are pleased to launch this new website for our churches in Haverhill and Withersfield! We hope this provides a friendly and accessible space to find out information and connect with us. Do let us