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St Mary the Virgin is the parish church of Monken Hadley. It has stood on the edge of Hadley Common since the fifteenth century, at the point where Greater London gives way to the fields of Hertfordshire, looking out over the village green, the historic almshouses, the three duck ponds and the white toll gates. The parish reaches from East Barnet to High Barnet and bridges the two, and the beacon on our tower once guided travellers across the Common. In its own way, it still does.
Everyone is welcome here, and we mean everyone. If you are neurodivergent, or disabled, or if you find yourself on the margins, this is a place where you can say so and be heard. It makes no difference to us whether you are married, single, divorced or remarried, where you were born or what your first language is. You do not need to have been to church before, or to believe anything in particular, or to know what to do. If you come with doubts, bring them with you. Same-sex couples are as welcome as anyone else, and we offer Prayers of Love and Faith.
None of this is our generosity. Jesus welcomed the people everyone else had written off, and was criticised for it. We are only trying to follow him.
If you would find step-free access, large print, a hearing loop or somewhere quiet to sit helpful, do ask and we will do what we can.
Sunday Holy Communion is at 10.30 in modern language, with a choir and a fine organ. Children are welcome at everything we do and nobody minds the noise.
At 6.30 in the evening we say Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer with a sung hymn, and on the third Sunday of the month we keep Holy Communion according to the Prayer Book. Whether the words are old or modern, everything we do here keeps the shape, the cadence and the faith of the Prayer Book.
We take our thinking seriously, with study groups, talks and lectures, and we are also very fond of a party. Through the year we keep the feasts and the dances that gather the whole parish, from the beating of the bounds and a croquet tournament to the Patronal Festival, the blessing of animals, harvest, a barn dance, Winter Tales and carols by candlelight.
We are growing, particularly among families with young children. We have started an organ scholarship, we are restoring Church House to serve the community again, we work closely with our church school, and we help other parishes across this part of London think about children and young people.
We are part of the Church of England and hold the historic Christian creeds. We baptise, we marry, we bury, we pray with the sick and the sad, and we share bread and wine every Sunday. If you have questions, ask them. They are always welcome.
The best way to find out who we are is to come on a Sunday at 10.30. There is coffee afterwards and no pressure to do or say anything.
Do talk to The Rev'd Francesco Aresco, our Rector, at rector@monkenhadley.church or on 020 3672 5563.