St Mary the Virgin church is set in the Parish of Edstaston and Coton and is part of the PEW group of churches in North Shropshire - working together with St Chad's Prees and St Mary the Virgin Edstaston. The Reverend Deborah Walton is both Vicar of the PEW group of churches and Chaplain to our local Secondary schools: Thomas Adams in Wem, and Sir John Talbots in Whitchurch.
We hold services every Sunday, rotating around the 3 PEW churches. Many of these are streamed live on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pewchurches) and then uploaded afterwards on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZh4Q1jD0dFPNwMTJ86UtmA)
THE COMING WEEKS IN PEW:
All the following are joint services for the whole benefice and all are welcome!
Sunday 19 March Mothering Sunday - there are Morning Worship services at 11.00am in each of our churches: St Chad’s, Prees, St Mary the Virgin, Edstaston and St Mary’s, Whixall
Wednesday 22 March 10.45am Holy Communion St Mary’s, Whixall
Sunday 26 March 11.00am Holy Communion St Mary’s, Whixall
Sunday 2 April - Palm Sunday 11.00am Holy Communion St Chad’s, Prees
Friday 7 April - Good Friday St Chad’s, Prees
Sunday 9 April - Easter Day 6am Dawn Service St Chad’s, Prees; 11.00 Holy Communion St Mary the Virgin, Edstaston; 2.30pm Family Communion St Mary’s, Whixall
Sunday 16 April 11.00am Morning Worship, followed by soup and sandwiches St Chad’s, Prees
Sunday 23 April 11.00am Holy Communion St Mary’s, Whixall
Wednesday 26 April 10.45am Holy Communion St Mary’s, Whixall
Sunday 30 April 9.30am Holy communion with APCM St Chad’s, Prees; 11.00am Holy Communion with APCM St Mary the Virgin, Edstaston; 6.00pm Songs of Praise with APCM St Mary’s, Whixall
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The church is Grade 1 Listed. It dates back to 1150 and is one of the most complete Romanesque buildings in Shropshire. The building has medieval wall paintings and Victorian stained glass windows. The churchyard is award winning and there is a new Church burial ground donated for community use. There are toilet facilities available at the church.
There is a small but dedicated congregation with members of the wider community attending special/ festival services such as Harvest, Christmas, Easter etc. There is a two-manual organ built by JJ Binns played by a dedicated organist. Joint and combined services with other PEW congregations offer opportunities to worship as part of a larger group.
The PCC work extremely hard to fund raise in a variety of creative ways and parishioners work together to maintain the building and grounds. There is a monthly coffee morning during which the 100 Club draw takes place. In 'normal times' this provides an opportunity for informal meetings for the wider community. The church has a very close relationship with the village hall, often sharing very successful and lively fundraising events, such as their Beer Festival, concerts, comedy nights etc; these events have enabled the hall committee to plan substantial re-development.
The Parish of Edstaston and Coton is long and narrow, extending north from the outskirts of Wem, to the southern edge of Tilstock. There are approximately 720 inhabitants in this rural area, one public house, and the village hall. The village of Edstaston is non-nucleated but the hall is the centre of much of village cultural life. There are many small businesses but primarily the area is agricultural. Young people in the parish usually attend Whixall CE Primary School and Thomas Adams Secondary.
The parish of Edstaston: St Mary the Virgin is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of Lichfield’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services