St. Michael, Shepton Mallet

Introduction

Father Hussey's church, originally dedicated to St Nicholas, served until 1965 and has been dedicated to St Michael since 1862.

History

In 1765, Father John Brewer, a Jesuit, began a mission that included Wells and Ston Easton, serving until his death in 1797. In 1851, the Jesuits transferred the mission to the newly formed Diocese of Clifton. The present church of St Michael was dedicated in 1965. The church was built on a site forming the corner of Langhorne Park, given by the Order.

The chapel opened for public worship on 29 April 1804 and could seat 200. The original chapel at Shepton Mallet was a room in the house of the Hippisley family in Market Place.

Architecture and furnishings

The chapel of St Nicholas is preserved as a Grade 2 listed building. The chapel's high pointed windows on the west side remain from its 163 years as a Catholic chapel.

Music and liturgy

Saint Michael's choir is a group of between eight and twelve volunteers whose purpose is to lead the congregation in singing the hymns, psalm and ordinary parts of the Sunday Mass.

Parish life

The Pastoral Parish Council meets four times a year. The parish provides instruction for pre-First Communion children, supports young adults in Confirmation preparation, and provides adult catechesis.

Altar servers volunteer after receiving their First Holy Communion and receive training sessions. Flower arrangers decorate the church with floral arrangements for Mass and special occasions, volunteering on a rota basis. Readers read one of the readings during Mass and/or the Prayers of the Faithful, with training given to new readers. Welcomers greet visitors and parishioners at Mass, handing out hymn books, Mass leaflets and the weekly Bulletin in the church porch.

The parish seeks help with organising activities for young people and with re-forming Saint Michael’s Youth Group or Mini Youth. St Peter's Life-Line partners with St Peter's primary schools and community of Kajuki, Kenya. Missio helps local missionaries work alongside global communities that are poor or in need.

Mary’s Meals provides school meals to children in some of the world’s poorest communities. The John Bradburne Memorial Society, founded as a charity in England in 1995, supports Mutemwa Leprosy and Care Centre in Zimbabwe. Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers couples the opportunity to enrich and refresh their relationships. Engaged Encounter provides engaged couples with a formal course in marriage preparation.

The parish follows the tradition of crowning Mary's image in May. The parish celebrated its diversity by bringing flags of represented nations to the altar with the offering.

Each year the parish runs a course of instruction for those who wish to know more about Jesus Christ and the Church. The parish priest meets with parents before a child's baptism to explain the sacrament and its responsibilities. The annual Glastonbury Pilgrimage has continued every year since then apart from a 2-year break during the Covid Pandemic.