Welcome to St Mary's Church, Merton
St Mary's is a Church of England parish within the Diocese of Southwark, serving a community of some 3,000 households in and around Merton Park, London, SW19. With a history and hospitality that stretches back to 1115, we continue to be at the heart of the local community, worshipping God, reaching out to the wider world and extend a warm welcome to you all.
For the latest news from St Mary's, upcoming services and our Instagram feed, please scroll down this page.
Latest news
Next Services
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Vicar of St Mary the Virgin Merton The recruitment advertisement for our vacancy appears in today's Church Times and is also posted on our website, together with our Parish Profile - link in bio. Closing date is 9 November 2025. -
St Mary's supports @thespirescentre, the south London homeless charity. At our Harvest Festival on Sunday 18 October we're once again collecting donations for Spires, to support them in their work with people experiencing homelessness. Please help if you can by bringing to church on Sunday 18th any of the items listed above. Thank you! #homelessness #harvestfestival -
We were delighted today to admit Ava Renton (2nd from left) as Head Chorister, supported by Chloe Ellam and Sophie Bisson (3rd and 4th from left) as Deputy Head Choristers. Ava succeeds Ellie Roberts (1st left) who performed the role with great dedication and skill. Ellie signed off as Head Chorister by singing the soprano solo in the Benedictus of Haydn's Little Organ Mass at this morning's Choral Eucharist. -
This Autumn's issue of our quarterly magazine, Parish Matters, is now available to download from our website. Link on our profile. The beginning of July saw the sad departure of our vicar, John Hayward, as he retired after 17 years at St Mary’s. We look back at the day of farewell and of celebration of John’s time with us, and at the enormously successful summer fair which preceded it. And we also look ahead to the appointment of a new vicar, offering a historical perspective on the way the Church of England recruits clergy to parishes. Vicars come and go, but some things are with us forever – for example, our beautiful mediaeval church building. We talk to the man who oversees its maintenance, celebrate the successful appeal to fund work on the bells, and launch our campaign to increase donor giving to enable us not just to maintain the building, but also to undertake the wider work of St Mary’s in the community. As well as a preview of Wimbledon BookFest in October, you will also find regular features such as book reviews, a walk suggestion, and a profile of a well-known ‘parish person’. We hope you enjoy it. Parish Matters is distributed free to 3,000 households in the parish and is also available at the back of the church. -
Flowers left on our war memorial on 19 September, in memory of Gunner Harry Littlewood who died the same day in 1917. -
STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT WITH PARISH PLAYERS! Join us for our upcoming pantomime, Dick Whittington, and be a part of our friendly community. Read-through and auditions are open to all, with no performance fees – just a yearly subscription. Under-18s, please attend with a parent or guardian until membership formalities are completed. Find us at St Mary's Parish Hall, Merton Park, London SW19 3HJ. -
St Mary's Choir sang Evensong at @westminsterabbeylondon on 28 July. The music: Ayleward responses, Psalm 71 vv1-16 (chants by GJ Bennett), Brewer in D Canticles, Anthem - O for the Wings of a Dove, Mendelssohn. @tristan_weymes #choralevensong -
Tomorrow, St Mary's Choir are excited and privileged to be singing Choral Evensong at Westminster Abbey. #choralevensong -
The Bells Fund We are delighted to say that the appeal to the parish and the wider Merton Park community to help fund the work on St Mary’s bells has been successful and our target of £10,000 has been met. Very many thanks to all who contributed. -
Help us get our bearings! The bells of St Mary’s need your help. Our six bells have been ringing out for hundreds of years. The oldest was cast around 1450, and is thought to be the oldest in Surrey. They are rung every Sunday, and celebrate christenings, weddings, funerals and mark important national occasions – recently the Coronation of Charles III and the 80th anniversary of VE day. But we have a big problem! As with most bells, St Mary’s bells are hung on ball bearings and, after 50 years regular use, the bearings need replacing. This requires professional bell hangers. Future expenses, such as new ropes and other essential items are imminent. We need to raise £10,000. If you love the sound of our bells and want them to continue, for us and for future generations to enjoy, please help us with a donation. Full details are on our website - link in bio. -
A memorable programme of opera arias and songs from musical theatre delighted an enthusiastic audience at St Mary's last night. Grateful thanks to old friends of St Mary’s @harriet_burns_ @ian.m.tindale and @matthewbisson01, and to tenor Matthew Palmer who very kindly sung at short notice.
