ST MARY'S, BROOK
SERVICE SCHEDULE
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Holy Communion is offered on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays at 11 am. On the 5th Sunday a United Benefice Service is held at 10:30 am at one of the 8 churches in the Wye Group. The pattern of services may change to accommodate holidays and other special events. These are shown below. Catholic Mass will be held every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 9.15am at St Mary's. St Mary's Church is open daily to visitors.
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MODERN COMMUNION
2nd, 3rd and 4th Sunday at 11am
Said service using the modern Common Worship communion (Eucharist) liturgy, lasting about an hour.
UNITED BENEFICE SERVICE
5th Sunday at 10:30am
When there is a fifth Sunday in the month a 10:30am United Benefice Service will be held at one of the eight churches - please see the Calendar for details. Â The form of the service is typically either Modern Communion or Morning Prayer.
HISTORY
St. Mary’s Church Brook is famous for its medieval wall paintings, their quality and artistic content place it in the top 20 churches in the UK regarding quality of medieval wall paintings. They derive from the 12th / 13th Century and were originally painted in red with gold leaf, and today appear as dark brown on white.
The paintings in the chancel depict the Nativity, Ministry and Passion of our Lord. Paintings on the south wall of the nave are slightly larger and done in red and white. These apparently show incidents in a saint’s life. A key to all subjects of the paintings is to be found in the red-backed booklet at the rear of the church in the vestry. This has been prepared from notes by Professor Tristram and later experts who have cleaned and restored the wall-paintings. Those on the north wall of the nave are a palimpsest and very difficult to make out. Low down we may discern two fourteenth century figures, with two large seventeenth century texts above.
Over the north door is a faded wall painting of St. Christopher.
The architecture of a priest room overlooking the congregation is a special architectural feature, which only 3 churches in the UK can claim. A faded painting of the Lord in the Priest Room gives this room a very special atmosphere for prayers, reflection, and for finding the presence of the Lord.