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Inaugural Service for the Order of St Mary

Inaugural Service for the Order of St Mary has been held in St Mary's Church, Warwick

27 September 2021


A procession by the great and the good held in Warwick 450 years ago to celebrate a visit to the town by Sir Robert Dudley has been restaged on a smaller scale by the Collegiate Church of St Mary as part of its £3million fundraising campaign.


Town councillors, the brethren who live at The Lord Leycester Hospital and Warwick Court Leet wore their ceremonial robes to lead the procession from the historic hospital site to St Mary’s for the inauguration of the first members into the Order of St Mary, the church’s new fundraising fellowship.


They were joined by Reverend Vaughan Roberts, Vicar of St Mary’s and Team Rector of Warwick; Bishop of Warwick, The Right Reverend John Stroyan, who led the service; Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox; High Sheriff of Warwickshire, Lady Willoughby de Broke; and Mayor of Warwick, Richard Edgington.


St Mary’s is raising money to pay for urgent repairs to its landmark tower and to ensure the fabric, music and ministry of the mediaeval ‘county church of Warwickshire’ for the next millennium. The aim is to secure the majority of the money needed to coincide with its 900th anniversary in 2023.


The Order of St Mary has been established to provide a regular stream of income and so far over 40 people have joined, raising over £100,000.


The inauguration service was held to coincide with the 450th anniversary of the visit to Warwick by the then Earl of Leycester, Sir Robert Dudley, on Michaelmas Day in September 1571 when St Mary’s Church hosted the feast of the Order of St Michel, the Archangel — the patron Saint of the French order of chivalry to which Dudley had been elected.


Warwick held a special significance to Dudley, as he was a descendent of Richard Beauchamp, the 13th Earl of Warwick, and it was also in 1571, under royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I, that he established The Lord Leycester Hospital for aged or injured soldiers and their wives, a charity that still operates today, similar to The Royal Chelsea Hospital and its famous Chelsea pensioners.


Dudley is buried at St Mary’s with his wife and son in a tomb within the ornate Beauchamp Chapel, which is considered to be one of the great funerary chapels in England.


The Reverend Vaughan Roberts said: “Written accounts of the celebration at St Mary’s of Robert Dudley’s investiture into the prestigious Order of St Michel tells of a momentous day in the history of Warwick, so its 450th anniversary was the right time to formally establish a new ‘Order’ whose members will help secure the future of our church.


“We know there are many thousands of other people who have a connection to St Mary’s, whether they were baptised here, were married here, or are among the 40,000 people who pay a general visit every year, and joining the Order of St Mary is one of many ways that they can contribute to our fundraising and in turn create a legacy for themselves in the timeline of our church.”


Membership of the Order of St Mary begins at £500 a year, with a programme of exclusive events and special visits to other places of ecclesiastical, heritage and cultural interest organised for those who join.


To join or to make a donation to the fundraising campaign, visit www.stmaryscampaign2023.org.uk.

by PH969248 12 Feb, 2022
As we look to St Mary’s long-term survival and wellbeing, we invite you to be involved in planning heritage, arts and social activities at the church. We want to ensure that, as the conservation work and future is planned, we understand the view of residents, visitors and those visiting this site.  To help with this, you are asked to take a five-minute survey. Please answer as many questions as you can, but don’t worry if you can’t answer them all. Please click this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/StMarysWarwick Thank you. Your help with this is greatly appreciated.
by PH969248 08 May, 2021
Why we need your help? St Mary’s has reached a critical milestone in her long history and we need your help now to safeguard the future so that we can sustain the church and all it stands for. Without your support achieving this ambition will be that much harder. Our first major challenge is the restoration of the historic tower which dominates the views from far and wide. We need to raise £2 million to ensure this work is completed to the highest standard of workmanship and make the building safe for visitors to the town as well as local people. Unlike our museums and heritage sites, St Mary’s receives no government funding. We, as custodians of the church, steward our resources very carefully, but without external grants and funding, and without donations big and small from individuals, we could not carry out the important work of conservation and restoration that you can see around you. Neither could we continue our music and outreach work without the benefit of philanthropic income. Important to everyone If St Mary’s didn’t exist, there would be a huge gap in the town’s spiritual heart, its heritage and culture. We need your help to deliver on our plans, to ensure that this historic church remains open and accessible to everyone and to enable our outreach programme to thrive. We are establishing the Order of St Mary as part of Campaign2023 to ensure the sustainability of the church, to enable people who are passionate about St Mary’s to come together to support our church at various levels and ensure our music, fabric and ministry can continue for future generations to enjoy. How we thank you for supporting us Members of the Order of St Mary enjoy: The chance to meet like-minded people An annual service and reception Invitations to private events within St Mary’s and trips to places of national interest Members’ Newsletter and regular updates on the campaign Join today Bronze Order Membership is £500 a year and entitles you to attend the speakers programme, the Summer Garden Party and the Annual Order Service. Membership can be paid by cheque, Standing Order, debit or credit card, or Direct Debit. You can pay in any of the following ways: Annually - £500 per annum Quarterly - £125.00 per quarter Monthly - £41.66 per month If you are a UK taxpayer you can increase the value of your subscription by 25% at no extra cost to yourself, simply by making your donation via Gift Aid. If you wish to give a larger annual donation for £1,000 per annum to entitle you to Silver Order Membership, you will receive all of the above benefits, plus invitations to meet key speakers at event receptions in the Beauchamp Chapel. Silver Membership also includes recognition on the donor board. Gold Order membership of a one-off payment of £5,000 will entitle you to all the above plus our Annual Dinner with our Campaign Patron. You will also be given the opportunity to have your support recognised in the form of a dedicated campaign chair that can be named after yourself or someone else who you would like to remember. Please contact the Campaign Office for further details campaign2023@stmaryswarwick.org.uk How to join the Order of St Mary Further information can be found in our brochure which you can download from here. Press the Donate Button and ensure that St Mary’s is here for future generations Questions If you have any questions, please contact the Campaign Office on campaign2023@stmaryswarwick.org.uk
by PH969248 13 Apr, 2021
Launch of the Order of St Mary
Launch of St Marys Warwick Campaign 2023
by Alison Swan 18 Nov, 2020
St Mary's launches Campaign 2023 to raise £3 million
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