News and Notices

The second Sunday of Easter

Sung Eucharist for the second Sunday of Easter

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Messy Easter
Today at 4.00 pm

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 15 April at 10.00 am

Colton Lodges (service of hymns and prayers)
This Thursday 16 April at 10.30 am

Sung Eucharist for the third Sunday of Easter
Next Sunday 19 April at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in April

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, UHT milk, tinned fish and cooking sauces.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Open Church and Summer Concert Series

Our beautiful church will be open to the public every Saturday afternoon, 2.00 pm until 4.00 pm throughout the summer from Easter through to the end of September. Please do tell your friends and neighbours about this and encourage them to come and have a look around _their _church, and perhaps come along to one of our Concert Season performances: – 9 May: What Larks! A capella folk harmony trio – 13 June: Altofts and Normanton Brass Band – 11 July: Giles Taylor, organ

Sustainable flowers

Recently, the Church of England’s General Synod passed a motion encouraging churches and cathedrals to adopt more sustainable practices in their floral arrangements. The flower team at St Mary’s already use an eco-friendly brand of floral foam for arranging the flowers. We are, however, researching alternative materials and methods of arranging our flowers so that we can further reduce our environmental impact in the future.

If you would like to contribute towards the cost of maintaining our lovely flower displays in church, perhaps in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a special event, any donation will always be gratefully received. Don’t forget to gift aid your donation if you are a taxpayer. Donations may be given to the churchwardens, to Shelagh Freer, to any member of the flower team, or online at wkrk.uk/df.

Confirmations: 13 September 2026

Confirmations for the East Leeds Deanery will be taking place at St James the Great Manston on 13 September. I am aware of two potential candidates for confirmation at that service. If you are considering being confirmed, or if you would like to know more, please contact Rev’d Claire. It would be good to have a joyful Whitkirk contingent at this service.

Revision of Electoral Roll

The Church Representation Rules require the Electoral Roll to be revised annually. Entry on the Roll provides the right to vote on issues raised at the Annual Parish Council Meeting. From 29 March 2026 a notice will be displayed near the Church entrance giving details of the revision. Those currently on the Roll do not need to take any action, unless to request removal from the Roll. Any persons not currently on the Roll can apply for inclusion. Application Forms will be available in Church. The Revision closing date is 3 May 2026.

Trip to Lincoln

Thursday 21 May

If you have expressed an interest in the trip to Lincoln, watch this space! We are finalising all the details and will be sharing more information, including the final cost, after Easter.

Quiet Day: Blessing

Saturday 23 May at 9.30 am
St Mary's Church Whitkirk Community Centre

‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.’ You are invited to this Quiet Day, led by Rev’d Claire on behalf of Churches Together in East Leeds, which will explore the notion of blessing, taking the so-called ‘Aaronic blessing’ as a starting-point. Allowing participants space to reflect and explore, it will encourage them to recognise the blessings that God pours out upon them and, simultaneously, to recognise themselves as bearers of that blessing to others and to the world. There is no charge for attendance. Please bring your own lunch. Tea and coffee provided. RSVP to [email protected] to give us an idea of numbers.

Easter Day

Sung Eucharist for Easter Day with Holy Baptism

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Easter Vigil
Today at 6.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Festal Evensong for Easter Day
Today at 6.00 pm · Watch the service · View the order of service

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 8 April at 10.00 am

Sanctuary
This Thursday 9 April at 6.30 pm

Sung Eucharist for the second Sunday of Easter
Next Sunday 12 April at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Messy Easter
Next Sunday 12 April at 4.00 pm

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in April

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, UHT milk, tinned fish and cooking sauces.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Open Church and Summer Concert Series

Our beautiful church will be open to the public every Saturday afternoon, 2.00 pm until 4.00 pm throughout the summer from Easter through to the end of September. Please do tell your friends and neighbours about this and encourage them to come and have a look around _their _church. We are launching this season’s Open Church afternoons on 11 April with a free concert by the Smeaton String Quartet. Free concerts will continue on the second Saturday of the month, as follows:

• 9 May: What Larks! A capella folk harmony trio
• 13 June: Altofts and Normanton Brass Band
• 11 July: Giles Taylor, organ

Sustainable flowers

Recently, the Church of England’s General Synod passed a motion encouraging churches and cathedrals to adopt more sustainable practices in their floral arrangements. The flower team at St Mary’s already use an eco-friendly brand of floral foam for arranging the flowers. We are, however, researching alternative materials and methods of arranging our flowers so that we can further reduce our environmental impact in the future.

If you would like to contribute towards the cost of maintaining our lovely flower displays in church, perhaps in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a special event, any donation will always be gratefully received. Don’t forget to gift aid your donation if you are a taxpayer. Donations may be given to the churchwardens, to Shelagh Freer, to any member of the flower team, or online at wkrk.uk/df.

Daily prayer in the week after Easter

Rev’d Claire will be away during the week after Easter, so there will be no Morning or Evening Prayer between 6 and 13 April. We will resume as usual on Tuesday 14 April with Morning Prayer at 8.30am and Evening Prayer at 5.30pm every day except Sunday and Monday.

If you would like to participate in the daily prayer of the Church of England but are unable to be in church at these times, why not visit wkrk.uk/cedp where you can read or listen to the prayers and readings for the day, and where you can also find instructions for how to download the free Daily Prayer app. Our Midweek Eucharist (Wednesday, 10.00am), Sanctuary (Thursday, 6.30pm), and Bible Discussion Group (Friday, 6.00pm) will take place as usual during this week.

Confirmations: 13 September 2026

Confirmations for the East Leeds Deanery will be taking place at St James the Great Manston on 13 September. I am aware of two potential candidates for confirmation at that service. If you are considering being confirmed, or if you would like to know more, please contact Rev’d Claire. It would be good to have a joyful Whitkirk contingent at this service.

Easter Egg Hunt

Today at 2.30 pm
St Mary's Church, Whitkirk

Bring your friends and family; tell your neighbours… especially any with children. This afternoon we will be hunting for Easter Eggs all over the church, with loads of lovely chocolatey prizes for all. Don’t miss it!

Trip to Lincoln

Thursday 21 May

If you have expressed an interest in the trip to Lincoln, watch this space! We are finalising all the details and will be sharing more information, including the final cost, after Easter.

Quiet Day: Blessing

Saturday 23 May at 9.30 am
St Mary's Church Whitkirk Community Centre

‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.’ You are invited to this Quiet Day, led by Rev’d Claire on behalf of Churches Together in East Leeds, which will explore the notion of blessing, taking the so-called ‘Aaronic blessing’ as a starting-point. Allowing participants space to reflect and explore, it will encourage them to recognise the blessings that God pours out upon them and, simultaneously, to recognise themselves as bearers of that blessing to others and to the world. There is no charge for attendance. Please bring your own lunch. Tea and coffee provided. RSVP to [email protected] to give us an idea of numbers.

Palm Sunday

Sung Eucharist for Palm Sunday

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Sanctuary for Holy Week, with anointing for healing and wholeness
This Monday 30 March at 7.30 pm

Said Eucharist
This Tuesday 31 March at 10.00 am

Tenebrae
This Tuesday 31 March at 7.30 pm · Watch the service

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 1 April at 10.00 am

Stations of the Cross followed by Compline
This Wednesday 1 April at 7.30 pm

Sung Eucharist for Maundy Thursday with foot washing and watch
This Thursday 2 April at 7.30 pm · Watch the service · View the order of service

The Liturgy of Good Friday
This Friday 3 April at 2.00 pm · Watch the service

Easter Vigil
Next Sunday 5 April at 6.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Sung Eucharist for Easter Day with Holy Baptism
Next Sunday 5 April at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Festal Evensong for Easter Day
Next Sunday 5 April at 6.00 pm · Watch the service · View the order of service

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in March

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for UHT milk, biscuits, custard, cooking sauces and tinned or packet mashed potatoes.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Renewal of the prayer list

Praying for those who are sick and in long-term care, or in any other kind of need, is central to our mission and it happens daily at Morning and Evening Prayer, and also at our Sunday Eucharists. In order to ensure that the prayer list remains up-to-date and manageable, however, we decided last summer that it would be renewed twice a year. This will happen on the first Sunday of September and on Easter Sunday. A list is now available at the back of church for you to add the names (first names only, please, for data protection reasons) of anyone for whom you would like us to pray for. It is of course fine to add names at any time by contacting Claire or leaving a prayer on one of the cards that are always available at the back of the church, but please do also remember to ask for names to be removed if the person is recovering or a moment of crisis has passed. As well as those remembered by name, we always also pray for any others who are in need of our prayers, so please be assured that no-one will be left out. God knows our needs and the needs of those who are on our hearts, even when we do not articulate them in so many words. There is no need to renew the list of those whose year’s mind we remember (unless you would like a new name to be added): this will continue as usual.

Holy Week and Easter

Please note the following dates for our Holy Week and Easter services and activities this year. We’d love you to join us for as many of these activities as possible. Our theme for Holy Week and Easter this year is ‘Places of the Passion’. We will be exploring the different places visited by Jesus during the last week of his life. How do they help us better to understand this story that is so central to our faith?

• Palm Sunday (29 March): Palm Sunday Eucharist 10.00 am, with donkey procession from the vicarage to the church (gather from 9.30 am, procession at 9.45 am), weather permitting.  The streets of Jerusalem.
• Palm Sunday (29 March): 2.00 pm-5.00 pm, church open for quiet reflection ahead of Holy Week – Stations of the Lord’s Prayer. Come and reflect on this prayer that we all know so well.
• Monday (30 March): 7.30 pm, Sanctuary for Holy Week – a contemplative Eucharist with anointing for healing and wholeness.  The house of Mary and Martha at Bethany.
• Tuesday (31 March): 10.00 am, Said Eucharist
• Tuesday (31 March): 7.30 pm, Tenebrae – we move from light into darkness as we reflect on the events of Holy Week via the places visited. The Temple court; in the Temple; an upper room; Gethsamane; the courtyard; the judgement seat; the potter’s field; Golgotha, the tomb.
• Wednesday (1 April): 10.00 am, Said Eucharist
• Wednesday (1st April): 7.30 pm, Stations of the Cross, followed by Compline
• Maundy Thursday (2 April): 7.30 pm, Eucharist with foot-washing and watch (till 10pm). Around the table.
• Good Friday (3 April): 2.00 pm, Liturgy of Good Friday. A garden.
• Holy Saturday (4 April): 10.00 am, Remembering Jesus – a short said service of prayer, reflection, and remembrance.  Back in the upper room.
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 6.00 am, Easter Vigil.  The empty tomb.
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 10.00 am, Sung Eucharist for Easter Sunday
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 2.30 pm-3.30 pm, Easter Egg Hunt – free fun for children and families with prizes for all
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 6.00 pm, Festal Evensong for Easter
• Low Sunday (12 April): 4.00 pm, Messy Easter (meet in the Community Centre for snacks, stories, songs and crafts)

Open Church and Summer Concert series

Our beautiful church will be open to the public every Saturday afternoon, 2.00pm-4.00pm throughout the summer from Easter through to the end of September. Please do tell your friends and neighbours about this and encourage them to come and have a look around _their _church. We are launching this season’s Open Church afternoons on 11th April with a free concert by the Smeaton String Quartet. Free concerts will continue on the second Saturday of the month… watch this space for more details.  

Daily Prayer in the week after Easter

Rev’d Claire will be away during the week after Easter, so there will be no Morning or Evening Prayer between 6 and 13 April. We will resume as usual on Tuesday 14 April with Morning Prayer at 8.30am and Evening Prayer at 5.30pm every day except Sunday and Monday. If you would like to participate in the daily prayer of the Church of England but are unable to be in church at these times, why not visit wkrk.uk/cedp where you can read or listen to the prayers and readings for the day, and where you can also find instructions for how to download the free Daily Prayer app. Our Midweek Eucharist (Wednesday, 10.00am) and Sanctuary (Thursday, 6.30pm) will take place as usual during this week. 

Stations of the Lord's Prayer

Today at 2.00 pm
St Mary's Church, Whitkirk

Throughout Lent we have been exploring the Lord’s Prayer, that prayer that we all know so well, which most of us learned parrot-fashion as children, and asking what insights we might gain by considering its words in more depth. We should be deeply grateful to our speakers – Brunel James, Jude Smith, Andy Muckle, Philip Hobday, and Linda Boon – for their insights and wisdom. This afternoon, there will be a chance for you to round off the deep thinking that our speakers have inspired by spending some time simply contemplating what the prayer means to you as you reflect on its words ahead of Holy Week. A ‘Lord’s Prayer Trail’ will be set up in church for you to follow in your own time. Drop in for five minutes or stay for an hour… it’s entirely up to you. Why not enter this holiest of weeks by spending some time in church praying as Jesus taught us?

Churches Together in East Leeds: Good Friday Walk of Witness

This Friday 3 April at 10.20 am
St Mary's Church, Whitkirk

We will be taking part in the Churches Together in East Leeds Walk of Witness on Good Friday morning. There is a service at Crossgates Methodist Church at 11.00am. In order to arrive on time, we will be gathering at the lychgate from about 10.20am and will set off no later than 10.30am. We will walk down Knightsway rather than Hollyshaw Lane (because the pavements are wider) in case anyone would like to join us en route. We will walk to the church in silence, carrying a wooden cross. You may also, of course, join us at the church if you are not able to walk with us.

Trip to Lincoln

Thursday 21 May

You are invited to join us for a trip to Lincoln. Full details to follow, including costs, but we will be leaving Whitkirk in the morning by coach to travel to Lincoln. The cost of the trip will include entry to the cathedral with a guided tour and a free organ recital by the cathedral’s organ scholar, Yipeng Xu. There is a cafe in the cathedral and many cafes and restaurants nearby, or you can bring a packed lunch. There will be some free time to explore the city or the nearby castle. The cost is likely to be in the region of £25-£30 per person, but please do speak to Claire if the cost is prohibitive for you, as we may be able to help. For now we are just taking names in order to have an idea of potential numbers, but we will be asking you to confirm your attendance (and to pay!) after Easter.

Quiet Day: Blessing

Saturday 23 May at 9.30 am
St Mary's Church Whitkirk Community Centre

‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.’ You are invited to this Quiet Day, led by Rev’d Claire on behalf of Churches Together in East Leeds, which will explore the notion of blessing, taking the so-called ‘Aaronic blessing’ as a starting-point. Allowing participants space to reflect and explore, it will encourage them to recognise the blessings that God pours out upon them and, simultaneously, to recognise themselves as bearers of that blessing to others and to the world. There is no charge for attendance. Please bring your own lunch. Tea and coffee provided. RSVP to [email protected] to give us an idea of numbers.

Passion Sunday

Sung Eucharist for Passion Sunday

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Bears and Prayers
This Tuesday 24 March at 9.30 am

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 25 March at 10.00 am

Sacred Space
This Thursday 26 March at 6.00 pm

Sung Eucharist for Palm Sunday
Next Sunday 29 March at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in March

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for UHT milk, biscuits, custard, cooking sauces and tinned or packet mashed potatoes.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Lent talks

Our series of Lent Talks this year is focusing on the Lord’s Prayer concludes this week with a talk by the Rev’d Linda Boon, who will be focusing on the theme of forgiveness. Explore in more depth the prayer that Jesus taught us, probably the first ‘formal’ prayer that most Christians learn, a prayer we say, perhaps without really stopping to think about what its words really mean to us. Each speaker will present a personal take on a line of the prayer, with time for questions or reflections. Each of our Lent talks will be followed by a short service of Compline. Recordings of the talks will be made available online for those not able to attend in person where possible (we have had some audio difficulties with some of the recordings, for which we apologise).

• 25 March: Rev’d Linda Boon (Harrogate School of Theology and Mission): ‘Forgive us our trespasses’

Renewal of the prayer list

Praying for those who are sick and in long-term care, or in any other kind of need, is central to our mission and it happens daily at Morning and Evening Prayer, and also at our Sunday Eucharists. In order to ensure that the prayer list remains up-to-date and manageable, however, we decided last summer that it would be renewed twice a year. This will happen on the first Sunday of September and on Easter Sunday. A list is now available at the back of church for you to add the names (first names only, please, for data protection reasons) of anyone for whom you would like us to pray for. It is of course fine to add names at any time by contacting Claire or leaving a prayer on one of the cards that are always available at the back of the church, but please do also remember to ask for names to be removed if the person is recovering or a moment of crisis has passed. As well as those remembered by name, we always also pray for any others who are in need of our prayers, so please be assured that no-one will be left out. God knows our needs and the needs of those who are on our hearts, even when we do not articulate them in so many words. There is no need to renew the list of those whose year’s mind we remember (unless you would like a new name to be added): this will continue as usual.

Holy Week and Easter

Please note the following dates for our Holy Week and Easter services and activities this year. We’d love you to join us for as many of these activities as possible. Our theme for Holy Week and Easter this year is ‘Places of the Passion’. We will be exploring the different places visited by Jesus during the last week of his life. How do they help us better to understand this story that is so central to our faith?

• Palm Sunday (29 March): Palm Sunday Eucharist 10.00 am, with donkey procession from the vicarage to the church (gather from 9.30 am, procession at 9.45 am), weather permitting.  The streets of Jerusalem.
• Palm Sunday (29 March): 2.00 pm-5.00 pm, church open for quiet reflection ahead of Holy Week – Stations of the Lord’s Prayer. Come and reflect on this prayer that we all know so well.
• Monday (30 March): 7.30 pm, Sanctuary for Holy Week – a contemplative Eucharist with anointing for healing and wholeness.  The house of Mary and Martha at Bethany.
• Tuesday (31 March): 10.00 am, Said Eucharist
• Tuesday (31 March): 7.30 pm, Tenebrae – we move from light into darkness as we reflect on the events of Holy Week via the places visited. The Temple court; in the Temple; an upper room; Gethsamane; the courtyard; the judgement seat; the potter’s field; Golgotha, the tomb.
• Wednesday (1 April): 10.00 am, Said Eucharist
• Wednesday (1st April): 7.30 pm, Stations of the Cross, followed by Compline
• Maundy Thursday (2 April): 7.30 pm, Eucharist with foot-washing and watch (till 10pm). Around the table.
• Good Friday (3 April): 2.00 pm, Liturgy of Good Friday. A garden.
• Holy Saturday (4 April): 10.00 am, Remembering Jesus – a short said service of prayer, reflection, and remembrance.  Back in the upper room.
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 6.00 am, Easter Vigil.  The empty tomb.
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 10.00 am, Sung Eucharist for Easter Sunday
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 2.30 pm-3.30 pm, Easter Egg Hunt – free fun for children and families with prizes for all
• Easter Sunday (5 April): 6.00 pm, Festal Evensong for Easter
• Low Sunday (12 April): 4.00 pm, Messy Easter (meet in the Community Centre for snacks, stories, songs and crafts)

Watch Party: Installation of the Archbishop of Canterbury

This Wednesday 25 March at 2.30 pm
St Mary's Church, Whitkirk

Come and pray for Archbishop Sarah as she is installed as Archbishop of Canterbury. Church open from 2.30 pm for prayers for Archbishop Sarah, watch the installation live from 3.00 pm. Refreshments available.

Trip to Lincoln

Thursday 21 May

You are invited to join us for a trip to Lincoln. Full details to follow, including costs, but we will be leaving Whitkirk in the morning by coach to travel to Lincoln. The cost of the trip will include entry to the cathedral with a guided tour and a free organ recital by the cathedral’s organ scholar, Yipeng Xu. There is a cafe in the cathedral and many cafes and restaurants nearby, or you can bring a packed lunch. There will be some free time to explore the city or the nearby castle. The cost is likely to be in the region of £25-£30 per person, but please do speak to Claire if the cost is prohibitive for you, as we may be able to help. For now we are just taking names in order to have an idea of potential numbers, but we will be asking you to confirm your attendance (and to pay!) after Easter.

Mothering Sunday

Sung Eucharist for Mothering Sunday

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Bears and Prayers
This Tuesday 17 March at 9.30 am

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 18 March at 10.00 am

Sung Eucharist for Passion Sunday
Next Sunday 22 March at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in March

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for UHT milk, biscuits, custard, cooking sauces and tinned or packet mashed potatoes.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Lent talks

Our series of Lent Talks this year is focusing on the Lord’s Prayer and continues this week with a talk by the Very Rev’d Dr Philip Hobday, the newly installed Dean of Wakefield. Explore in more depth the prayer that Jesus taught us, probably the first ‘formal’ prayer that most Christians learn, a prayer we say, perhaps without really stopping to think about what its words really mean to us. Each speaker will present a personal take on a line of the prayer, with time for questions or reflections. After Easter, there will be the opportunity to hear the Archbishop of York speak about the Lord’s Prayer at Wakefield Cathedral on 28 April. You might also want to buy the Archbishop’s book about the Lord’s Prayer, Praying by Heart: The Lord’s Prayer for Everyone. Each of our Lent talks will be followed by a short service of Compline. Recordings of the talks will be made available online for those not able to attend in person.

• 18 March: Very Rev’d Dr Philip Hobday (Dean of Wakefield): ‘Our Father’
• 25 March: Rev’d Linda Boon (Harrogate School of Theology and Mission): ‘Forgive us our trespasses’

Renewal of the prayer list

Praying for those who are sick and in long-term care, or in any other kind of need, is central to our mission and it happens daily at Morning and Evening Prayer, and also at our Sunday Eucharists. In order to ensure that the prayer list remains up-to-date and manageable, however, we decided last summer that it would be renewed twice a year. This will happen on the first Sunday of September and on Easter Sunday. A list is now available at the back of church for you to add the names (first names only, please, for data protection reasons) of anyone for whom you would like us to pray for. It is of course fine to add names at any time by contacting Claire or leaving a prayer on one of the cards that are always available at the back of the church, but please do also remember to ask for names to be removed if the person is recovering or a moment of crisis has passed. As well as those remembered by name, we always also pray for any others who are in need of our prayers, so please be assured that no-one will be left out. God knows our needs and the needs of those who are on our hearts, even when we do not articulate them in so many words. There is no need to renew the list of those whose year’s mind we remember (unless you would like a new name to be added): this will continue as usual.

Community Centre Spring Clean

This Saturday 21 March at 9.00 am

21 March is the first day of spring. Could you spare a little bit of time to help us spring-clean the Community Centre? We will be there from 9.30 am, all equipment provided, all help appreciated. Come for half an hour or for the whole morning, do as much or as little as you are able. Every little helps! Help us keep the Centre spick and span ahead of the busy summer season for bookings. Thank you!

The third Sunday of Lent

Sung Eucharist for the third Sunday of Lent

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Messy Church
Today at 4.00 pm

Bears and Prayers
This Tuesday 10 March at 9.30 am

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 11 March at 10.00 am

Colton Lodges (service of hymns and prayers)
This Thursday 12 March at 10.30 am

Sanctuary
This Thursday 12 March at 6.30 pm

Sung Eucharist for Mothering Sunday
Next Sunday 15 March at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in March

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for UHT milk, biscuits, custard, cooking sauces and tinned or packet mashed potatoes.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Lent talks

Our series of Lent Talks this year is focusing on the Lord’s Prayer and continues this week with a talk by Rev’d Andy Muckle, Chaplain to St George’s Crypt and Bishop’s Chaplain to the Homeless in the Diocese of Leeds. Explore in more depth the prayer that Jesus taught us, probably the first ‘formal’ prayer that most Christians learn, a prayer we say, perhaps without really stopping to think about what its words really mean to us. Each speaker will present a personal take on a line of the prayer, with time for questions or reflections. After Easter, there will be the opportunity to hear the Archbishop of York speak about the Lord’s Prayer at Wakefield Cathedral on 28 April. You might also want to buy the Archbishop’s book about the Lord’s Prayer, Praying by Heart: The Lord’s Prayer for Everyone. Each of our Lent talks will be followed by a short service of Compline. Recordings of the talks will be made available online for those not able to attend in person.

• 11 March: Rev’d Andy Muckle (Chaplain to St George’s Crypt & Bishop’s Chaplain to the Homeless in the Diocese of Leeds); ‘Give us this day our daily bread’
• 18 March: Very Rev’d Dr Philip Hobday (Dean of Wakefield): ‘Our Father’
• 25 March: Rev’d Linda Boon (Harrogate School of Theology and Mission): ‘Forgive us our trespasses’

Marmalade and more

Jessie Pickersgill will be holding a sale of marmalade and Easter things in the Community Centre after today’s service. All proceeds for church funds. She would be grateful to receive any empty jam jars with lids. These can be left in the box at the back of the church. Thank you.

Renewal of the prayer list

Praying for those who are sick and in long-term care, or in any other kind of need, is central to our mission and it happens daily at Morning and Evening Prayer, and also at our Sunday Eucharists. In order to ensure that the prayer list remains up-to-date and manageable, however, we decided last summer that it would be renewed twice a year. This will happen on the first Sunday of September and on Easter Sunday. A list is now available at the back of church for you to add the names (first names only, please, for data protection reasons) of anyone for whom you would like us to pray for. It is of course fine to add names at any time by contacting Claire or leaving a prayer on one of the cards that are always available at the back of the church, but please do also remember to ask for names to be removed if the person is recovering or a moment of crisis has passed. As well as those remembered by name, we always also pray for any others who are in need of our prayers, so please be assured that no-one will be left out. God knows our needs and the needs of those who are on our hearts, even when we do not articulate them in so many words. There is no need to renew the list of those whose year’s mind we remember (unless you would like a new name to be added): this will continue as usual.

Thank you

A huge thank you to all the amazing volunteers who gave up their time this week to help with Experience Easter. Over 120 children from Year 5 in three of our local primary schools were able to hear the story of Easter thanks to your support. Your work is so appreciated. Thank you!

Community Centre Spring Clean

Saturday 21 March at 9.00 am

21 March is the first day of spring. Could you spare a little bit of time to help us spring-clean the Community Centre? We will be there from 9.30 am, all equipment provided, all help appreciated. Come for half an hour or for the whole morning, do as much or as little as you are able. Every little helps! Help us keep the Centre spick and span ahead of the busy summer season for bookings. Thank you!

The second Sunday of Lent

Sung Eucharist for the second Sunday of Lent

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Choral Evensong
Today at 6.00 pm · Watch the service · View the order of service

Bears and Prayers
This Tuesday 3 March at 9.30 am

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 4 March at 10.00 am

Compline by Candlelight
This Wednesday 4 March at 8.30 pm

World Day of Prayer service
This Friday 6 March at 2.00 pm

Sung Eucharist for the third Sunday of Lent
Next Sunday 8 March at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Messy Church
Next Sunday 8 March at 4.00 pm

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in March

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for UHT milk, biscuits, custard, cooking sauces and tinned or packet mashed potatoes.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Lent talks

Our series of Lent Talks this year is focusing on the Lord’s Prayer and continues this week with a talk by Canon Jude Smith, the Diocese of Leeds’ Director of Mission and Revitalisation. Explore in more depth the prayer that Jesus taught us, probably the first ‘formal’ prayer that most Christians learn, a prayer we say, perhaps without really stopping to think about what its words really mean to us. Each speaker will present a personal take on a line of the prayer, with time for questions or reflections. After Easter, there will be the opportunity to hear the Archbishop of York speak about the Lord’s Prayer at Wakefield Cathedral on 28 April. You might also want to buy the Archbishop’s book about the Lord’s Prayer, Praying by Heart: The Lord’s Prayer for Everyone. Each of our Lent talks will be followed by a short service of Compline. Recordings of the talks will be made available online for those not able to attend in person.

• 4 March: Rev’d Canon Jude Smith (Director of Mission and Revitalisation for the Diocese of Leeds): ‘Lead us not into temptation’
• 11 March: Rev’d Andy Muckle (Chaplain to St George’s Crypt & Bishop’s Chaplain to the Homeless in the Diocese of Leeds); ‘Give us this day our daily bread’
• 18 March: Very Rev’d Dr Philip Hobday (Dean of Wakefield): ‘Our Father’
• 25 March: Rev’d Linda Boon (Harrogate School of Theology and Mission): ‘Forgive us our trespasses’

Marmalade and more

Jessie Pickersgill will be holding a sale of marmalade and Easter things on Sunday 8 March 2026, following the service. All proceeds for church funds. She would be grateful to receive any empty jam jars with lids. These can be left in the box at the back of the church. Thank you.

Church cleaning

Could you spare some time to help us keep our beautiful church clean? We are reinstating our church cleaning sessions on the first Wednesday of the month from about 10.45 am (after the midweek Eucharist). We are so grateful for any help received. No experience needed!

Renewal of the prayer list

Praying for those who are sick and in long-term care, or in any other kind of need, is central to our mission and it happens daily at Morning and Evening Prayer, and also at our Sunday Eucharists. In order to ensure that the prayer list remains up-to-date and manageable, however, we decided last summer that it would be renewed twice a year. This will happen on the first Sunday of September and on Easter Sunday. A list is now available at the back of church for you to add the names (first names only, please, for data protection reasons) of anyone for whom you would like us to pray for. It is of course fine to add names at any time by contacting Claire or leaving a prayer on one of the cards that are always available at the back of the church, but please do also remember to ask for names to be removed if the person is recovering or a moment of crisis has passed. As well as those remembered by name, we always also pray for any others who are in need of our prayers, so please be assured that no-one will be left out. God knows our needs and the needs of those who are on our hearts, even when we do not articulate them in so many words. There is no need to renew the list of those whose year’s mind we remember (unless you would like a new name to be added): this will continue as usual.

World Day of Prayer service

This Friday 6 March at 2.00 pm
St Mary's Church, Whitkirk

You are invited to a service to mark the World Day of Prayer 2026 on 6 March at 2.00 p.m. Churches Together in East Leeds will be organising this service as part of a global wave of prayer, with churches and Christian organisations around the globe using the same materials, prepared this year by women in Nigeria, to celebrate our oneness in diversity. ​The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who invite you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. The 2026 World Day of Prayer materials from Nigeria bring us a powerful invitation drawn from Matthew 11:28-30. At a time when people worldwide are carrying heavy burdens, our Nigerian sisters offer profound insights into finding rest in God. Through their exploration of different kinds of burdens – shame, systemic oppression, religious persecution, poverty and despair – the writers help us understand both the weight of human suffering and the depths of divine rest. Their work shows us that true rest isn’t just about physical relief, but about transformation through God’s grace and community support. Please join us if you can for this celebration.

Community Centre Spring Clean

Saturday 21 March at 9.00 am

21 March is the first day of spring. Could you spare a little bit of time to help us spring-clean the Community Centre? We will be there from 9.30 am, all equipment provided, all help appreciated. Come for half an hour or for the whole morning, do as much or as little as you are able. Every little helps! Help us keep the Centre spick and span ahead of the busy summer season for bookings. Thank you!

The first Sunday of Lent

Sung Eucharist for the first Sunday of Lent

Today at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Other services

Bears and Prayers
This Tuesday 24 February at 9.30 am

Said Eucharist
This Wednesday 25 February at 10.00 am

Sacred Space
This Thursday 26 February at 6.00 pm

Sung Eucharist for the second Sunday of Lent
Next Sunday 1 March at 10.00 am · Watch the service · View the order of service

Choral Evensong
Next Sunday 1 March at 6.00 pm · Watch the service · View the order of service

Lent talks

Our series of Lent Talks this year will focus on the Lord’s Prayer. Explore in more depth the prayer that Jesus taught us, probably the first ‘formal’ prayer that most Christians learn, a prayer we say, perhaps without really stopping to think about what its words really mean to us. Each speaker will present a personal take on a line of the prayer, with time for questions or reflections. After Easter, there will be the opportunity to hear the Archbishop of York speak about the Lord’s Prayer at Wakefield Cathedral on 28 April. You might also want to buy the Archbishop’s book about the Lord’s Prayer, Praying by Heart: The Lord’s Prayer for Everyone. Each of our Lent talks will be followed by a short service of Compline.

• 25 February: Rev’d Brunel James (Project and Secretariat Manager for the Church of England’s Racial Justice Unit): ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’
• 4 March: Rev’d Canon Jude Smith (Director of Mission and Revitalisation for the Diocese of Leeds): ‘Lead us not into temptation’
• 11 March: Rev’d Andy Muckle (Chaplain to St George’s Crypt & Bishop’s Chaplain to the Homeless in the Diocese of Leeds); ‘Give us this day our daily bread’
• 18 March: Very Rev’d Dr Philip Hobday (Dean of Wakefield): ‘Our Father’
• 25 March: Rev’d Linda Boon (Harrogate School of Theology and Mission): ‘Forgive us our trespasses’

The Leeds South & East Food Bank: What's Needed in February

The Leeds South & East Food Bank continues to be in urgent need of donations of food to help feed those in most need. In particular at the moment they are asking for UHT milk, biscuits, custard, cooking sauces and tinned or packet mashed potatoes.

If you are able, you can donate by picking one of these items up in your weekly shop and dropping it in the box at the back of the church. You can find other ways to help, including donating money or your time, on their website at wkrk.uk/fbd. If you need the help of a foodbank yourself, see wkrk.uk/fbh.

Bible discussion group

If you are wondering about renewing your focus on reading the Bible as a Lenten discipline, why not come along to our friendly Bible Discussion Group which meets every Friday at 6.00 pm in the Smeaton Room? We focus on the readings for the following Sunday’s Eucharist, but there are plenty of chances to ask questions (including about other passages or issues), all in a supportive atmosphere where there’s no such thing as a ‘silly question’. All are welcome; no previous knowledge or experience is expected. 

Stations of the Lord's Prayer

As you came in today, you should have been given a leaflet about the Lord’s Prayer, inviting you to pause to reflect on this familiar prayer. You can do this at any time when the church is open – before or after a service, after Morning Prayer (when the church normally remains open for about half an hour), before one or more of the Lent talks – but we will be opening specifically for reflection on the Lord’s Prayer on the afternoon of Palm Sunday, when the church will be open from 2.00 pm until 5.00 pm for quiet prayer and reflection. Alternatively, feel free to use the leaflet in your own prayer time in the comfort of your own homes, imagining yourself journeying around the church rather than doing so physically.  

Deanery Evensong

Today at 5.00 pm
St Saviour's Church, Ellerby Road

Please join us for a special service of Evensong for the East Leeds Deanery tonight at 5.00 pm at St Saviour’s, Richmond Hill. The Deanery Evensong which we hosted in July was very well attended, so it would be nice for Whitkirk folk to show their support for this service too. Rev’d Claire will be the preacher at this service, led by Fr Jonathan Fleury.

Bears and Prayers

This Tuesday 24 February at 9.30 am
St Mary's Church, Whitkirk

Rev’d Claire and her trusty assistant Rev’d Bear will be launching ‘Bears and Prayers’ this Tuesday. ‘Bears and Prayers’ is a new initiative for pre-schoolers and the adults who look after them. A short service, featuring songs, stories, prayers and, of course, bears, will be followed by refreshments for adults and children and a chance to chat and play together. The service takes place on Tuesdays in term-time from 9.30 am until 10.30 am. All are welcome. Bring your own bears!