About Us

At St Mary's we are the lucky inheritors of a sacred place in which ordinary people have come together for nearly 800 years. We want the church to continue to be a place of prayer, peace, comfort and significance for centuries to come. We are a small but open and friendly community and welcome everyone to come and worship here or simply to enjoy the church in silence and solitude.

St Mary's is a 13th century church which belonged to the Knights Templar until 1312. Look out for the unusual stone rood screen, the sanctuary seat, Norman font, the medieval preaching cross and the grave of St John Kemble, a Roman Catholic martyr put to death in 1679.

The church is open 24/7 for private prayer, and every Sunday we have either a Holy Communion service or a Christian meditation followed by breakfast and Bible study. You are very welcome to join us, whether you’re a regular churchgoer or have never been to church before. For details of all this and more, see our website, and if our service times don’t work for you, have a look at the other churches in the area - see our benefice page.

We have an active events programme including a monthly coffee morning (on the first Saturday of the month, held in the village hall in the colder months). There's a voucher-free food bank at the back of the church where anyone struggling to make ends meet can take what they need with no need to register anywhere.

If you'd like someone to pray for you, you can send a prayer request to [email protected], marking it confidential if you'd prefer it to remain anonymous.

Safeguarding: The parish of Welsh Newton and Llanrothal is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops' guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer, (Carl Steventon  07593817717). The Diocese of Hereford’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA (Carl Steventon 07593 817717). If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children (01432 260800) or Adults Services (01432 260715).