Welcome to the Website for the Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St Magnus the Martyr in the City of London. Our church is built where all people crossing the old London Bridge used to enter the City, and standing on the cross roads, it has seen many important events in its 1000 year history. The object for which the church was originally built has not changed; now as then, prayers are offered daily to God, and He is worshipped in the beauty of holiness. Now as then, people who work in  the City, or who come from further afield set aside their daily concerns and spend a time of peace and prayer, asking for and receiving God's peace in their hearts. We welcome visitors from around the world, who come to marvel at the beautiful interior and to see our world-famous 4 meter long model of the old Bridge.

Please take some time to explore this web-site, to enjoy the virtual tour and relish the history of this place. Better still, if you are in London, visit us during our opening times, which are Sunday morning, and Tuesday - Friday, 10 am until 4 pm. You can find the times of our services also on this site.

 If you would like to receive instruction in the Christian faith, would like to talk about any concerns in confidence, or have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Father Philip Warner, on saintmagnus@bulldoghome.com

 God bless you, and all good wishes

 Fr Philip

BLESSING OF THE RIVER

The Very Revd John Hall, Dean of Westminster prepares to drop the wooden cross (held by Fr Richard Bolton) into the Thames as part of the annual river blessing ceremony on London Bridge.

More photos of the event may be seen by using the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=15186&l=09452&id=791067619

 

St Magnus the Martyr Lower Thames Street London EC3R 6DN office telephone number: 0207 626 4481

 ST MAGNUS NEWS                                   April  2008   

MUSIC FOR APRIL/MAY

13thApril         Easter IV

Hughes           Missa Sancti Benedicti

Stanford        Ye choirs of new Jerusalem

16th April        St Magnus Day

Huber             Missa Salve Regina Pacis

Bairstow         Blessed City, Heavenly Salem

20th April        Easter V

Nicholson       Missa Sancti Magni

Wilson             With all thy hosts, O Lord

27th April        Easter VI

Tallis               Mass for four voices

Tallis               If ye love me

1st May      ASCENSION DAY

Rihovsky         Missa Loretta

Palestrina       O Rex gloriae

4th May           Easter VII

Stainer           Mass for four voices

Stainer           Leave us not, neither forsake us

BOOK SALE FOR LORD MAYOR’S CHARITIES

The Grand total for the book sale was £700. Many thanks for those who brought books and who bought them. We’ve already been asked whether we will repeat this next year, and probably will. So start saving those books now!

 

SAINT MAGNUS DAY

We are privileged to have as our preacher on St Magnus Day (April 16th) The Rt Revd Graeme Knowles, the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. High Mass at 18.00 is followed by a reception, which is being hosted in St Magnus House, courtesy of Clarksons.

ALL WELCOME.

ST GEORGE'S DAY (April 23rd)
Mass at 5.30 pm

ASCENSION DAY & BEATING THE BOUNDS (May 1st)

Solemn Mass at 12.30 will be followed by the beating of the parish boundaries. At each station the choir will sing a short madrigal, this year the Feast fallings as it does on May Day!

HOLY WEEK

Some photographs of Holy Week at St Magnus can be viewed by following the link: HERE

MASTERMIND

Congratulations to the winner of 2007 Mastermind, whose special subject was Old London Bridge

Well done also to those who spotted Fr Philip in the introduction to that subject --- all 2 seconds of him!


Music Page click here


The Fire Sermon St Magnus the Martyr, 12 February 2007

Preached by The Revd Canon Dr Nicholas Sagovsky, Canon Theologian at

Westminster Abbey.

Pascal’s Night of Fire

Download here


MASS TIMES:

SUNDAY at 11.00 am: PARISH MASS & SERMON

Tuesday & Thursday at 12.30 p.m.

Wednesday at 12.30 p.m. (at St Mary Abchurch)

Friday at 12.30 p.m. (usually followed by Benediction)

Parish Priest: Fr Philip Warner. (0207 626 4481)

The Church is open for visiting and for prayer Tuesday to Friday 10.00 am to 4.00 pm

     

 Public Worship and Private Prayer

When a Bishop appoints a man to be a parish priest, as part of the ceremony of installation, he asks that priest to be faithful in 'public worship and private prayer.' These are two sides of the same coin when it comes to the relationship which every Christian ought to have with God, but they are particularly important when it comes to one who will lead the parish in one, and teach by example in the other.

At St Magnus the Martyr, 'public worship' means the Mass (also known as the Eucharist & Holy Communion), which is celebrated every Sunday as well as regularly during the week. Sometimes this great act of worship is called 'The Liturgy', which comes from the Greek meaning 'work of the people'. This means that although within the ceremony of the Mass there are parts when the priest alone says prayers and performs actions, and parts when individuals read from scripture, and parts when the choir alone sing, everyone present, old and young, have a vital part to play. In singing hymns and responses, in joining heart and mind in prayer, in their standing and their sitting, and especially in saying 'Amen' to the 'great prayer', they complete the offering of the altar.

On Sundays, it being the Lord's Day, the Mass is offered at 11.00 a.m. with greater solemnity than during the week. The organist will lead us, together with the choir, in our musical offering. Servers will assist the priest at the altar, and will accompany him in procession with candles, and incense will be burnt to symbolise our prayers ascending to the throne of God. (the photograph shows the priest being censed at the High Mass for St Magnus Day)

At a High Mass, the priest (also called the celebrant) is assisted at the altar by two other ministers; a 'deacon', (who has to have been ordained) and a sub-deacon (who may be a layman). The deacon's main task is to proclaim the Holy Gospel and to administer the chalice at Holy Communion, while the sub-deacon may read the epistle.

In the Catholic Church (of which the Church of England claims to be but a part) there are three 'orders'. These are the two just mentioned, priest and deacon, and the most important one being the Bishop. He is the Father-in-God of a 'diocese', which in the Bishop of London's case is all of Greater London north of the River Thames. He has the right to celebrate the Mass in any church in his diocese, but because he cannot be everywhere at once, he delegates that privilege to his priests.

On weekdays the Mass is celebrated on Tuesdays & Thursday s at 12.30 pm and on Friday at 12.30. Unless a major feast day, this takes the form of a Low Mass, where the priest is assisted by one server only, and the side altar is used. The prayers are said rather than sung, and there is less ceremonial.

On this altar stands the 'tabernacle', which is where the consecrated Body of Christ is kept in order that people may receive Holy Communion in their homes if prevented by illness from attending church, or in hospital. It also serves as a focus for prayer, and during the day many people take time away from their busy lives to come to St Magnus and to pause in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. To show them that It is present, a white light burns nearby.

 

Below is the site set up by the St Magnus the Martyr Bells Fund to raise money for
a new ring of bells at the church. www.magnusbells.com

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