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Published on 30 October 2026

SAFEGUARDING

If you have concerns regarding the welfare of any Child or Vulnerable Adult click here to view our Safeguarding policy and contacts, or in an emergency, phone 999

Friday Coffee Mornings

All are welcome for Coffee/Tea and Cake in The Lounge

Every Friday 11am – 1pm

Berevement and Friendship Group
If you’ve suffered a bereavement or are feeling isolated and lonely come and meet other who know how you are feeling.  Every Monday, 1:30 to 3:30 pm in The Lounge.

Book Club.
The next meeting of the Book Club is on Wednesday 4th November.  The book for October is “Out Of The Ashes” by Emma Törzs.  If you love reading and would like to join us over a cup of tea/coffee you are warmly invited to our next meeting.

Guest Preachers
We are delighted to be welcoming a series of guest preachers at our 10am Parish mass during the season of Autumn and Advent.  See Notice above.

Christmas Services

The details of this years services are now available on a leaflet in Church, a copy of the schedule of services is above.

Dates for your Diary

On Monday 2nd November there will be an All Souls’ Day Mass in the Chapel at 6pm, where we will remember those who have died. A sheet will be put out in church next week if you want to add any names to the list to be read out during this service.

Sunday 8th November - Remembrance Sunday a Special service where we remember All victims of War

Saturday 5th December - St. Matthews Christmas Fair, see poster above.

This Week’s Services

For details of the Scripture readings see here.

Sunday 1st November to Sunday 8th November

Forthcoming Events

Parish Giving Scheme

Thank you very much to members of our congregation who give regularly to enable our mission and ministry to continue.  If you have not already done so, please consider joining our Parish Giving Scheme and make a regular donation by direct debit.  This is very easy to do online at

www.parishgiving.org.uk/donors/find-your-parish/perry-beeches-st-matthew-birmingham

Or, see our Giving page for further details.

Other Giving Schemes

To make a one-off donation to the Church, a donation to our Sponsored Child or our work in Malawi use the appropriate link below.

Message from the Vicar

Dear friends,

Last week, we looked at why the saints are important for Anglo-Catholics, and today I want to turn our attention to one saint in particular: the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary occupies an important place in Anglo-Catholic devotion, but often this is mistaken for ‘worship’ of Mary that undermines our worship of Jesus. I hope that this letter will clear up any confusion about the role of Mary in our faith.

On one level, Mary is so special precisely because of her ordinariness. When you stop and think about it, there is something incredible about the fact that a teenage mom from an obscure small town in the Middle East is one of the most important people in our faith. There seemed to be nothing to mark her out as special, and yet she was – as Luke’s Gospel puts it, she was ‘highly favoured’ in the eyes of God, ‘blessed among women’, the one whom ‘all generations will call blessed’.

God chose Mary for an incredible task, and she responded to that calling with humility and obedience. When she was told that she would bear the son of God, she did not run away, but responded ‘here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word’. And she went on to constantly point others towards her son, during her life and throughout the history of the Church. We look to Mary not to distract from Jesus, but to point us to him.

Mary didn’t just bear Jesus in her womb; she would have also taught him and nurtured him in the faith throughout his childhood. She was with him throughout his public ministry, from his first miracle at a wedding feast to the cross where he died. She was not a passive bystander, but had an active role to play – and we believe that she continues to play an active role, praying for us in heaven.

That is why we say the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer every Sunday. The first part of this prayer reaffirms what Scripture tells us about Mary’s importance, whilst the second half asks for her to pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. It should be clear that this is not worship of Mary, for worship belongs to God alone. It is, instead, our way of appropriately honouring the Mother of Christ, the ‘God-bearer’ who brought Jesus into the world. It is also a reminder that all Christians share in Mary’s calling. We too are called to be ‘God-bearers’, those who make Christ known through our words, our deeds, and our love for others. And so, in the words of the Blessed Virgin, ‘let it be’.

With my prayers,
Father George

From 25th October-6th December, Fr Sam Rigby will be serving a placement in the Diocese of Birmingham, working in several churches including St Matthew’s. Fr Sam is currently Assistant Curate in the Wenlock Team Ministry in the Diocese of Hereford. He will be with us most Fridays, and will be preaching one Sunday during this time. We look forward to welcoming him here.

A reminder that we welcome contributions towards the cost of flowers, perhaps in memory of a loved one. Please place any donations in the pot on the table.  

Contributions of food for the FOODBANK are always welcome. Please give as generously as you can and place any items in the basket by the door.

Our church relies on the generosity of visitors and worshippers. If you would like to make a contribution to the ministry and mission of St Matthew’s but don’t have any cash, there is a contactless card reader on the table by the front door.

Please put your request for prayers during the intercessions on the sheet on the table.

If you could offer a lift to someone to Church, please let us know.

We are buying a memorial stone to commemorate Fr Michael Westlake’s time at St. Matthew’s. Contribution towards the cost of this would be gratefully received

This Week’s Notices

Welcome to

St. Matthew’s Church

Perry Beeches

Aldridge Road/Birdbrook Road
Perry Beeches
Birmingham B44 8RB

Phone 07467 832601

e’mail: Administrator @stmatthewsperrybeeches.org.uk

Sunday School every Sunday at 10am

We will continue our usual weekly e’mail news sheet to help everyone keep in touch with activities at St. Matthews. This weeks news sheet is here. You can also keep in touch with our Facebook page.

Want to hire a room?

St. Matthews has several rooms available, Click here for details

We have a card reader on the desk by the main entrance, Simply enter the amount you want to donate and Tap and Go.

Got

No

Cash

Click on a poster to see it full size