The year 2003 marks the 900th Anniversary of St Mary's Church. We hope to make this year an invitation to the whole community to look afresh at this great Church at the heart of the town of Shoreham, to appreciate its history and exceptional architecture, and to learn more about its place in the unfolding story of Christianity in this area.

For the Church community it is an opportunity to examine its life and work, its mission and outreach, and to renew its efforts in both evangelism and care for others.

Above all, we hope that St Mary's will be recognized as a place that welcomes all comers for whatever reason, and that during the year those who would not normally come into Church will be attracted by a wide variety of events, both sacred and secular.




Wednesday 1st January
12 noon  St Mary's 900th Anniversary year Launching Service, followed by light refreshments

Sunday 9th February
3 pm  National Marriage Week Service, for all those who were married at St Mary's Church

Wednesday 7th May
7.30 pm  St Mary's 900th Anniversary Lecture: Circles of the Spirit – Celebrating and Questioning the Church by the Revd Canon Dr Gavin Ashenden, Chaplain of the University of Sussex. Discussion with refreshments

Sunday 1st June
6 pm  St Mary's 900th Anniversary Festival Evensong. Preacher: the Very Revd Dr John Simpson, Dean Emeritus of Canterbury Cathedral

Saturday 6th September
5.30 pm  Friends of St Mary's Festival Evensong. Preacher: the Very Revd Christopher Campling, Dean Emeritus of Ripon Cathedral

Sunday 7th September
11 am  Patronal Festival Sung Eucharist, for the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrant and Preacher: the Bishop of Chichester



Saturday 15th February
7.30 pm  This Church, a new choral work written for St Mary's Anniversary by Michael Finnissy

Saturday 31st May - Saturday 14th June
Flower Festival: This is His Story, This is Our Song. Open daily, 10 am to 5 pm (Sundays, 2 to 6 pm)


Saturday 31st May
8 pm  Projected. A new film about St Mary's specially commissioned by the Adur Arts Festival

Thursday 3rd July
2 pm & 7 pm  Happy Birthday St Mary de Haura. A pageant written and performed by St Nicolas' and St Mary's Middle School. Tickets £2, available from the school or St Mary's Church

Friday 4th July
2 pm  Happy Birthday St Mary de Haura (as above)

Saturday 12th July - Sunday 13th July
Medieval Shoreham: Exhibition by Buckingham School. Also, Morris Dancers (Saturday morning), Concert: Music and Dance of the Medieval Church by Michael Finnissy (Sunday, 7.30 pm, free)

August – dates to be announced
Talking Stones: Art, Craft, and Archaeology activities for children

Saturday 6th September
2.30 – 6.30 pm  Friends of St Mary's Day: Talk, Tea, Organ Recital, Evensong. All welcome



900th Anniversary Banner
Created by Geoff Turner & Gail Lawther

Mary Garden
A medieval-style flower bed

Hospitallers' Garden
A medieval-style flower bed

Prayer Walk
Inspirational route around the Churchyard



Saturday 17th May
From 10.30 am  The Living Churchyard
Come and hunt for plants, trees, lichens, insects and birds in St Mary's Churchyard with expert guides, and make a record of the day's findings. Bring a packed lunch. Children welcome but accompanied by adults, please.

Saturday 5th July
From 10.30 am  Exploring the Church through Art
Mary Bird, local artist and teacher, will lead the day, in which we shall see St Mary's through new eyes, using charcoal, pencil, felt-tips and rubbings. Materials provided. No experience necessary. Bring a packed lunch. Children welcome but accompanied by adults, please.

Saturday 16th August
From 10.30 am  Seeing and Believing
Martin Hayden, local photographer, will lead us into new ways of exploring the Church and its surroundings through the camera lens. Bring your own camera – follow-up session later to share results. Children welcome but accompanied by adults, please.

Saturday 20th September
From 10.30 am  Putting it into Words
Terry Henson, local teacher and researcher, will show us how poets find words to express their feelings, and will encourage us to try our hand at writing using our historic Church for inspiration. No experience necessary. Bring a packed lunch. Children welcome but accompanied by adults, please.




Wednesday 21st May
1.00 pm  Lancing College and the Shoreham Connection – the story of Nathaniel Woodard, Curate of St Mary's by Janet Pennington

Friday 27th June
1.00 pm  A New Town and a New Church – the origins of New Shoreham and St Mary's by Peter Brandon

Tuesday 15th July
7.30 pm  A Vision of St Mary's – a Photographic Tour of the Church, past and present by Martin Snow

Tuesday 5th August
7.30 pm  Shoreham's Landscapes – Man, Land and a whole lot of water! by Geoffrey Mead

Tuesday 19th August
7.30 pm  Shoreham and the King – Charles II's Escape through the Port by Helen Poole      

Tuesday 30th September
7.30 pm  St Mary's, 'a fine and beautiful building' – an architectural study by Michael Norman

Thursday 23rd October
7.30 pm  St Mary 'at the Harbour' and Maritime Shoreham by Trevor Povey



There are many special recitals and concerts in St Mary's during the Anniversary year, mostly free of charge. Please see the separate St Mary de Haura Friends of Church Music leaflets for further details.

• St Mary's is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm

• Shoreham-by-Sea is easily reached by bus and train, and lies just off the A27 between Brighton and Worthing – see Multimap (external site)

• The church lies at the heart of the town. There are public car parks nearby

A wide range of specially commissioned commemorative cards and gifts will still be on sale in the church at special events. These include: Bone China Mug Paperweight Tea Towel Candle Holder Bookmarks (see opposite) Milk & Plain Chocolate Notebook Pen Thimble Key Fob Come and buy while stocks last!