A sense of community
The Church of England retains the system of parish, diocese and province
inherited from Roman local government. This means that everybody in England
is a parishioner of some church, and that every parish has a territorial,
as well as a spiritual, ministry. That is, it is committed to the pastoral
care of everyone who lives in its parish. See Beating of the Bounds.
Little St Mary's is a small parish in the centre of Cambridge but, perhaps
atypically, draws its congregation from a much wider area. People come
from as far afield as Royston, Ely, and Haverhill. This means that those
actually living in the parish form a small minority in a lively eclectic
congregation united by its love for the finest in Anglo-Catholic liturgy
and spirituality. We minister equally to town and gown.
Many shared interests stimulate the community to work together on a
variety of projects, both directly and indirectly related to their common
devotion to the faith. The pages of this site indicate the diversity and
scale of this enterprise.
Seven whole days, not one in seven
LSM is not a one-day-a-week church. The parish has a common life,
somewhat akin to the style of religious or academic communities. Many
people find this a supportive structure for coping with the vagaries and
viscissitudes of daily living. We count among our own many who have had
troubled lives and crises of faith.
Newcomers are, of course, made welcome. We offer this vision of
community to all, that each may take from it such elements as may be
found personally helpful.
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