At the beating heart of the City, St Mary Aldermary is rooted in the tradition of hospitality, a place of welcome and warmth where faith, friendship and community meet
St Mary Aldermary is a historic church with a rich legacy, having been dedicated to Mary for over 900 years. Positioned along the ancient Watling Street, a significant pilgrim route, the church serves as a vital spiritual and cultural landmark in the City of London. It is cherished by the community, blending the sacred and secular to create a welcoming space for all. Host Café within the church provides a warm, restful atmosphere, offering free or discounted food to ensure inclusivity.
In the evenings, the church hosts various community groups, and at weekends is home to a Moldovan Orthodox congregation, which includes Ukrainian members. This allows the church to remain open seven days a week, further cementing its role as a centre of faith and community. St Mary Aldermary is experienced as a place of stillness and reflection, nurturing both spiritual and physical well-being amidst the busyness of the city.
Objectives
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Be a leading City heritage destination; building faith and community today
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Be an early adopter of sustainable renewable energy moving to Net Zero by 2026
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Minster to those who are missed amongst the busyness of the City; especially street homeless and isolated.
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Be a place of quiet and sanctuary, fully accessible to all regardless of physical ability, faith background or heritage.
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Be financially sustainable through our own Host Café, hosting other church communities and businesses.
Photo © Ilaria Foresi
Community
We are a welcoming community offering an opportunity to anyone who wants to dive deeper – exploring our relationship with God; the world around us; and one another.
A Welcoming Church
In sharing the love of God, we offer space to encounter the Divine and accompany people on their spiritual journey. We listen to all, respecting difference and seeking the insights others may inspire in us.
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We are committed to Host Café and its outreach to the City, looking for opportunities to be with them in their weekday busyness and social occasions.
A Contemplative Church
Prayer and reflection, both collectively and personally, is part of our calling. To go deeper with God, we offer both silence and guided prayer.
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Through the week at St Mary Aldermary, we offer meditation and Taizé prayers.
Relationship
Exploring our relationship
– with God
Through a regular offering of prayer, we are disciples seeking to discern the will of God for our lives, both collectively and personally.
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We spend time with the Bible, Christian writers and other sources of wisdom, learning about the nature of God and humankind.
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We seek the insights of others; often a spiritual director, soul friend or other accompanier.
Exploring our relationship
– with one another
We worship as a community through the week: we journey together and personally with God.​
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We create opportunities for friendship and support within St Mary Aldermary.
Exploring our relationship
– with the world around us
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In our choices, we consider our stewardship of the environment, justice for all people and opportunities for charitable giving in both time and money.
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In work, leisure and acts of service, we seek to be creative mirroring the Creator; we seek to engage with the arts and experience the divine Artist.
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Both as St Mary Aldermary and personally, we seek opportunities for loving service, offering models of community in an often individualistic and lonely city.
We are an inclusive church
We believe in inclusive Church – church which does not discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race or sexuality. We believe in Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.
