S. Mary’s stands firmly in the Catholic Tradition of the Anglican Church. Worship is central, and everyone is welcome to our services.
Mass
Sunday 11.00 am Solemn Mass – a sung Mass (traditional language 1984 Church in Wales Prayer Book) with incense, choir, occasional sung propers, motets/anthems.
Monday 6.00 pm Mass
Wednesday 10.00 am Mass
Evensong
Evensong daily at 6.00 pm (said in chancel) except for days when there is a Mass.
For services in the current month at S. Mary’s, Hay; S. John’s Chapel, Hay; S. Eigon’s, Llanigon; ‘Little’ S. Mary’s, Capel-y-Ffin; S. Michael and all Angels’, Clyro and Bettwys Chapel, Clyro please see the Calendar of Services below.
Calendar of Services for October 2026
THURSDAY 1st OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at the Chapel of S. John, Lion Street
S.Therese of the Child Jesus – Popularly known as the ‘little flower’, S. Therese was a Frenchwoman who having felt a call to religious life at a young age joined a convent aged 15. Sadly she died aged 24 from tuberculosis. She had a great devotion to the Real Presence at Eucharistic Adoration and wished to live a simple life of prayer. Following her death her spiritual autobiography has become very popular. It is called ‘Story of a Soul’.
2nd October – The Holy Guardian Angels – Following on from the feast of S. Michael at the end of September. Whilst the feast of S. Michael is often referred to as the feast for all Angels, so this has not always been the case. The other Archangels, such as Gabriel, had their own day in the calendar. This feast for the Holy Guardian Angels developed within the Franciscan Order and was formally placed into the calendar by Pope Paul V in 1607. Pope S. John XXIII wrote the following meditation. ‘We must remember how admirable was the intention of divine Providence in entrusting to the angels the mission of watching over all mankind, and over individual human beings, lest they should fall victims to the grave dangers which they encounter.’
SUNDAY 4th OCTOBER
18th Sunday after Trinity/27th Sunday of Ordinary Time & 27th Week & S. Francis of Assisi
9.30 am Parish Mass at S. Eigon, Llanigon
11.00 am Parish Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
6.00 pm Parish Mass with Pet Blessings at Little S. Mary’s, Capel-y-Ffin
MONDAY 5th OCTOBER
6.00 pm Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
S.Galla – A 6th century widow who formed a group of like-minded women in Rome and lived a life of prayer and charitable service. In the convent pantry an icon of the Mother of God appeared which was later transferred to another church in the city. It is said that S. Galla had a comforting vision of S. Peter whilst dying from breast cancer. The Church needs to be constantly reminded that she is there for the people of God.
WEDNESDAY 7th OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
Our Lady of the Rosary – There is a tradition that S. Dominic, whilst visiting a part of France where people had left the Faith, had a vision of Our Lady, who presented him with a rosary as a tool against heretics. Whether it be a tool for apostolic endeavour or private devotion, the rosary is a wonderful item that reminds us of the special position Our Lady holds in our lives.
THURSDAY 9th OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at the Chapel of S. John, Lion Street
S. John Henry Newman – His feast is this day in the Roman calendar which is the formal date on which he ‘crossed the Tiber’. It is normal for a feast day to be held on the individual’s day of death, which in S. John Henry Newman’s case is 11th August. It should be noted that he was declared Doctor of the Church this year, a title held by only 37 other Saints, having made a significant contribution to the doctrinal and spiritual life of the Church through his writings. This covers the full body of his writings, therefore including those made when he was an Anglican.
10th October – Thomas Traherne – Priest and poet who originates from Hereford. He spent a period of time in the parish of Credenhill, following ordination to the Priesthood, which was no doubt a much quieter and less intriguing place then. He then became a private Chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgman who was in court of Charles II. There is a small side chapel at Hereford Cathedral, just off the Lady Chapel, which has some stunning stained glass. It is a very dear Chapel within the Cathedral in which I was ordained.
SUNDAY 11th OCTOBER
19th Sunday after Trinity/28th Sunday of Ordinary Time & 28th Week
9.30 am Parish Mass at S. Eigon, Llanigon
11.00 am Morning Praise at S. Michael and All Angels, Clyro
11.00 am Parish Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
MONDAY 12th OCTOBER
6.00 pm Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
13th October – S. Edward the Confessor – We are doing well with Saints of the British Isles, S. Edward reigning as King of England from 1042-66, although he did spend a period of his early life living in exile in Normandy. His Shrine is in the Church that he commissioned in London and the site of coronations, namely Westminster Abbey, which is a Royal Peculiar rather than a Parish Church. The monks present during the awful acts of Henry VIII hid his bones, which allowed them to be restored to the same spot at a later date. Good men yourself, I say to those monks!
WEDNESDAY 14th OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
THURSDAY 15th OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at the Chapel of S. John, Lion Street
S.Teresa of Avila – Falling seriously ill aged 15 she was given the letters of S. Jerome to read. These clearly had a positive effect upon her, rather than inducing long periods of sleep, as she decided not to marry and to enter the religious life, much to her father’s displeasure. She entered the Carmelite Order but found them to be too worldly which, given that some sisters had their own servants, would be a justifiable assessment. In time she was given permission by the order to found a new Convent in Avila where prayer, contemplation and silence formed the way of life. She has provided several works which have come to be considered spiritual classics.
16th October – S. Margaret Mary Alacoque – Born in Burgandy in 1647, she entered the religious life in the Visitation Order. She had visions which encouraged her to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Though some thought her delusional, the will of God overcame, and this devotion is commonplace within the Church Catholic today. There is a statue of the Sacred Heart in S. Mary’s. His heart burns with love for us.
17th October – S. Ignatius of Antioch – He is understood to be a disciple of S. John the Apostle, who was appointed to be the third Bishop of Antioch. His writings provide much insight into the very early Church and her thought and practices. His are some of the writings which had a great impact upon S. John Henry Newman who sought to return the Church to her roots and those who lived closest to Christ.
SUNDAY 18th OCTOBER
29th Sunday of Ordinary Time & 29th Week/ S.Luke
9.30 am Parish Mass at S. Eigon, Llanigon
11.00 am Parish Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
6.00 pm Evensong at Little S. Mary’s, Capel-y-Ffin
S. Luke – One of the four Gospel writers and chronicler of the Church as she began following the Ascension of Christ (Acts of the Apostles). The Annunciation, the Visitation to S. Elizabeth, and the visit of the shepherds to the Christ Child only appear in his Gospel. It leads us to believe that he was close to Our Lady, heard these accounts directly from her, and so included them into his Gospel account.
MONDAY 19th OCTOBER
6.00 pm Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
WEDNESDAY 21st OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
THURSDAY 22nd OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at the Chapel of S. John, Lion Street
S. John Paul II – the longest serving Pope of the 20th century and the third longest in history. He was canonised as a Saint by Pope Francis in 2014. The collapse of the Iron Curtain and the restoration of freedom of belief and affiliation across most of Europe is in a good part due to him. For much of his pontificate he travelled, emphasising the global spread and nature of the Christian Faith. He is said to have been a fan of Liverpool Football Club. He liked to escape to the mountains and go hiking and so would have felt at home here in the Black Mountains.
SUNDAY 25th OCTOBER
21st Sunday after Trinity/30th Sunday of Ordinary Time & 30th Week
9.30 am Parish Mass at S. Michael and All Angels, Clyro
11.00 am Parish Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
6.00 pm Compline at Chapel of the Holy Trinity, Bettwys
MONDAY 26th OCTOBER
6.00 pm Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
WEDNESDAY 28th OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at S. Mary’s, Hay
Ss. Simon & Jude – These two are Apostles whose martyrdom, according to tradition, occurred in Persia. Simon is referred to as the Canaanite or as the Zealot, the latter being a sect within Judaism that advocated armed insurrection against the occupying Roman regime. In becoming an Apostle, he would have departed from that sect and their activities. The reason for Jude being the Patron Saint of lost causes is now obscure. There is a novel called Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy, which I part read during one of my ordination retreats. It is not about S. Jude.
THURSDAY 29th OCTOBER
10.00 am Mass at the Chapel of S. John, Lion Street
Evening prayer at 6 pm daily in St Mary’s, Hay, except for Mondays when there is a Mass.
Advance Notice: Mass for All Souls – Monday 2nd November, 6 pm at S. Mary’s, Hay
If you would like for the name(s) of deceased to be remembered on this feast please note them on a list at the back of S. Mary’s, a note given to your local Churchwarden, or in mention to Fr. David. The souls of those who have gone in the past twelve months and whose funeral liturgies have been held in our Churches will be included.
Advance Notice: Annual Parish Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Friday 2nd April – Monday 5th April 2026
Save the date! Please speak with Fr. David or Sarah Groves if you are interested in joining us and to reserve a place. For more details about Walsingham, see the Pilgrimage page.
The Angelus bell rings out twice a day at S. Mary’s, 12.00 noon and 6.00 pm before evening prayer. This devotion reminds people that they are being prayed for and blessed. The Angelus is a very ancient devotion – and I hope that when people hear the bell ringing (3×3, then 9) they will pause and join with the prayer being offered in the church as it rings. Fr. David
