We are pleased to offer the following Masses at St Mary’s during Holy Week

• Maundy Thursday – Mass of the Last Supper. 7pm 1st April
• Good Friday – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. 3pm 2nd April
• Holy Saturday – The Easter Vigil. 8pm 3rd April
• Easter Sunday – Mass. At 9am and 10.30am 4th April

All services are open to the public but you must book a place. They will also be live-streamed. The usual weekday Mass at 10am on Wednesday 31st March is live-streamed only.

Holy Week and Easter Sunday Bookings close 17 hours before the service. This is a change from usual, in order that we can produce the attendance lists for Easter Sunday before the Easter Vigil at 8pm on Easter Saturday.

For information on what time booking closes for each service please refer to section below on Booking / Reservation Process .

To watch a livestreamed Mass; please go to http://www.churchservices.tv/bath Mass recordings are available on the same website if you scroll to the bottom of the page.

See Booking Section also for more information on how to reserve a place at Mass and how to make a Mass offering.

Thank you for the many ways you support St Mary’s

Photographs: Tony McAteer

Fresco Fifth Panel - The Deposition from the Cross. Artist Fleur Kelly.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

The obligation to go to Mass on Sunday is suspended and Masses remain subject to strict guidelines and measures. There are 60 places at each Mass. If you come to Mass without a reservation, and all the seats have been booked, you will not be allowed into church.

Please reserve your place, either via Eventbrite or the dedicated, parish answerphone 07415 000 566.(For those who are unable to book via the Eventbrite or who do not have internet access.)

Stewards will assist you on the day.

You may sit with people in your support bubble but must maintain social distance from others. Please do not talk to friends in the church, however tempting it may be.

Facemasks are compulsory (including for children 11yrs and above) We are unable to allow you entry to the church without this or an exemption note.

NHS Covid-19 Test and Trace App. If you have a Smartphone and are using the App, please scan the QR code at the entrance.

Toilets remain closed. Please make sure young children & vulnerable adults are aware of this.

Disabled Access: Entry is through the front door unless you are unable to manage stairs. If so, you are welcome to go in and out through the Sacristy. The Sacristy door is at the back of the church; accessed by a footpath from the car park. Turn left onto the footpath behind the church. The Sacristy door is near the end of the building on the right.

Please do not park in the front of the church. We are using the emergency door as an exit.

We are grateful for the work of all our Stewards. If you are aged 60yrs or less and not in a vulnerable category, and would like to volunteer, please email the parish office at bath.stmary@cliftondiocese.com

When registering by PHONE or EVENTBRITE we ask for your email and /or phone number, in case we need to contact you at short notice. By providing this you are agreeing that we may contact you by phone or email regarding your booking and any future changes to our booking process.

BOOKING / REGISTRATION PROCESS

Booking OPENS when the link is available on the parish website and BOOKING CLOSES 17hrs before Mass as follows

To help ensure St Mary’s Church stays COVID secure and safe for everyone: please read and follow the guidance included with your booking confirmation email and your ticket.

To book via Eventbrite; click the link that includes the dates you are interested in. You will be asked to select a date. You can then book as usual. To book a second date; clink on the link again and repeat the process.

If Mass is fully booked; please click the "Register" button for your chosen date to join the WAITING LIST. You will be notified automatically if someone cancels.

If you wish, you can make a one-off donation to the Sunday collection. These are voluntary and it is not necessary to donate when you reserve a place at Mass. We do understand that many people are facing greater financial hardship.

Some people already give regularly by standing order. We have added the donation facility for those who prefer to give via the collection, or are visitors, and because we have been unable to take the Sunday collection since March 2020.

Any donation is welcome, no matter the size, or how often. Only the donations secretary will see this information.

BOOKING MASS / NO DONATION: On the booking page under "Registration" please enter the number of people you wish to reserve a place at Mass for. Then proceed as normal.

BOOKING MASS / ADDING A DONATION: On the booking page under "Registration" enter the number of people you wish to reserve a place at Mass for. Under "Donation / Mass Offering" enter the amount you would like to give. Follow the instructions for making a payment. Then add the details for each person attending Mass as normal, INCLUDING yourself.

Making a donation generates an "eRegistration" called "Registration1" but this is NOT a booking for Mass. Each reservation for Mass also generates an eRegistration.

E.g. if you are booking for 2 people (including yourself ) and are making a donation. You will see

• Registration 1 - For the donation.
• Registration 2 - For your place at Mass.
• Registration 3 - For your companion's place at Mass

There is more information about the impact of Covid-19 on Parish income at the bottom of this page.

The Impact of Covid-19 on Parish Income

Our income maintains the parish and sustains our outreach work.

Unfortunately, our income is down by 30%. Major factors include

• No Sunday Mass collections since March 2020.
• Other income that supports the parish is reduced or gone. (e.g. Hire income from Parish Centre and weekday car park permits not being renewed.)

Our expenditure has increased due to

• The usual bills still coming in
• New costs e.g. PPE, hand sanitiser, signage, metre sticks etc.
• Streaming of Masses (setup and ongoing costs). Thank you for donations to enable this.

Thank you if you support our parish with a regular donation. It is much appreciated. We do understand that many people are facing greater financial challenges than before.

If you are able to make an occasional contribution, we are immensely grateful. Including, if you are in a position to begin, or increase, a regular contribution.

For more information please go to St Mary's website and select "church giving " https://www.stmarysbath.org.uk/parish-life

If you are a taxpayer, please consider using Gift Aid to increase the value of your gift by 25% at no cost to you. Contact the Gift Aid secretary Michael at GA.bath.stmary@cliftondiocese.com