St. Mary's
Pakenham
Welcome to St. Mary's web site
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We appologize that as the web site is still under construction some aspects are incomplete.
Welcome to the website for St Mary’s Parish Church Pakenham,
situated in the village with two working mills. Standing on a hill over looking the village from the southeast the church is notable by the octagonal tower set centrally on the crossing of the nave and transepts. The main entrance is through the north porch approached from the road by a steep gravel path.
The inner door opens onto the west end of the nave. The font is centrally situated in the main aisle and is capped by an ornately carved conical hood suspended from a pulley set into the roof timbers. Turning east from the font the church is laid out before you with a clear view through the rood screen to the altar and the east window supported by a carved stone reredos set with reflective gold-coloured mosaic.
From beneath the tower you can see the painted ceiling of the crossing which supports the floor of the bell chamber above. The choir is seated here during services, the choir stalls in the chancel now only being used for smaller events. The south transept has recently been converted to a meeting room with an open room above reached by stairs at the rear. This was constructed as a facility for the village at the bequest of a local parishioner and is known as The Martin Room. It is beautifully finished in modern oak trimmings and doors.
The north transept has been partially converted to contain toilets and storage space. The organ is also situated here in this transept.
There are few paintings and the walls are crisp and clean making a fine backdrop to the floral displays. There are some fine wooden wall plaques.
St. Mary's, Pakenham together with St. Andrew's, Norton and St Andrew's Tostock form the Pakenham Benefice.
The Rector, who lives close to the church in Pakenham is the Rev. lan Hooper. He is assisted by a part-time, non-stipendary Curate the Rev. James Longe. The Benefice is very fortunate to have the services of two Readers Ken Sandell and Alan Taylor both of whom minister to the parishioners and supply valuable teaching and support.
The parish has a thriving choir which is prepared to sing at weddings and other events. In this it is supported by members of the other churches in the benefice and surrounding parishes. Many are also active in the production of the local theatrical group, The Pakenham Players.
As said, WELCOME to our church, it has a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The church can be opened on request and details can be found in the site.
Author Nigel Farthing
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The benefice works together to provide
a wide range of services for the three parishes in combination.Service Times
The first Sunday in the Month is a Joint Benefice Communion, the three churches rotating in holding the service. This runs in the order of;-
January - Pakenham, February – Norton and March – Tostock. 10 am
The services at Pakenham run as follows.
The second Sunday is Parish Eucharist (Common Worship – Order 1) 9.30 am
The third Sunday is Morning Worship a form of family service. 11.15 am
The fourth Sunday is Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) 9.30 am
(If there is a fifth Sunday in the month then it takes the form of an
extra Morning Prayer)
Events to look foreward to
For a full list of parish events see www.pakenham-village.co.uk
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