Ship of Fools: St Mary Abbots, Kensington, London

The Mystery Worshipper

Ship of Fools: St Mary Abbots, Kensington, London

High church: grand vestments, lots of candles, incense - and a disappearance!

Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here

Terry Tee

'The most densely populated part of Britain'? Not true then and not true now:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_districts_by_population_density

Hookers_Trick

There are three MW reports on Mary Abbots, of varying enthusiasm:

ship-of-fools.com/mystery/2000/184Mystery.html

https://shipoffools.com/mystery-worshipper/st-mary-abbots-london/


I quite often go there when I'm in London - they must be one of the few significant London parish churches offering Sung Mattins as the principal service on Sunday. Note that the 11.15am service on Easter Day is Festal Choral Mattins!

[Fixed link - Spike, MW Host]

Bishops Finger

If there are only 18 or so in the congregation at Matins (as in the second Report listed above), and that's the main service, the church is in trouble...

I'm guessing that the principal service of the week is actually the 930am Eucharist.

Hookers_Trick

I was surprised by the 18 - I quite like sung Mattins and any time I've been for it the nave is respectably full. I went for evensong a few years ago which turned out to be Advent Lessons and Carols, and it was packed out. I struggled to find a seat in front of the crossing.