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.