Dear Friends,

Christmas at St Mary’s is always very special. Every year, our beautifully decorated, warm and welcoming church becomes a place of comfort, music, light, and celebration for our whole community. We are planning all of our usual Christmas services — including our Carol Service at 5pm on Sunday, 14th December — along with trees, flowers, candles, the crib, wonderful organ music, and our annual Christmas Day lunch in the church.

But this year, we find ourselves in a very difficult position.

Over the past twelve months we have faced a break-in, storm damage, and the failure of our church heating system. These events have not only caused significant damage but have also led to a substantial drop in income at a time when we most need stability. Though the heating has now been repaired, we still urgently need to raise money to cover the costs and our accounts have already been stretched to their limit.

Because of this, we are folding our usual Christmas Appeal into our ongoing Emergency Appeal. We long to offer our community the joy, warmth, and hope of Christmas, but we cannot do so without your help. Your generosity now will ensure that St Mary’s remains a place of welcome — not just in December, but throughout the year.

Some of our friends have already been holding fundraisers for us, and we are deeply grateful. If you have any ideas or would like to run something yourself, please do get in touch — every effort, every pound, every shared link helps.

Before he left us for St Martin-in-the-Fields, Fr Andrew wrote:

*“In my final few days with you, I am relaunching this Easter Appeal as our Emergency Appeal, and am asking for your help both in promoting it, and in supporting St Mary's…”*

Although Fr Andrew has now moved on, the sentiment remains as true today as when he wrote it, and he continues to hold St Mary’s in his heart and prayers from afar. When he was here he would often remind us of the deep love that binds our community together and I am confident that we can meet this challenge.

If you are able to help us at this crucial moment, please donate to this Emergency & Christmas Appeal. Your gift — of any size — will help us keep St Mary’s warm, safe, and welcoming this Christmas and beyond.

Thank you, with love and gratitude.

Gifts may be made here on JustGiving,

or by direct transfer to:

St Mary’s Church Kemp Town

20-12-75 / 50672734 (reference: emergency appeal)

or by cash/cheque to:

The Treasurer, St Mary’s Church, 61 St James’s Street, Brighton, BN2 1PR