The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Chippenham

Parish life

Saint Mary’s Parish in Chippenham had Corsham as a Mass centre. The Saint Vincent de Paul Society gives their time to help in the community, including by phone chat.

The parish offers a short course of baptismal preparation for parents, with baptisms usually celebrated during a Sunday or weekday Mass. The church is located at 20 Station Hill, Chippenham, SN15 1EG.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Baptisms are not normally celebrated during the Season of Lent, awaiting the baptismal Season of Easter. Families who regularly come to Mass at Saint Mary’s and Saint Patrick’s Church are invited to enrol their children for the parish preparation for Reconciliation and Eucharist when they are in Year 3 or above.

The process of becoming a Catholic may take around a year. If you are already baptised and would like to consider being received into the full communion of the Catholic Church through confirmation and first communion, you are very welcome to speak to the parish priest about that continuing journey.

In time of need the priest will come to the home to administer the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist, and Anointing of the Sick. If you are going into the Royal United Hospital, Bath or another local hospital, do ask for the Sacrament of the Sick before you are admitted as this takes the pressure off the hospital chaplaincy.

Our groups work with the Parish Priest to facilitate pastoral care within the parish, particularly to the sick and the housebound. Many members of the group are also Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who will bring Communion to the sick.

At a time of bereavement, the parish offers condolences and assurance of prayers, and those who have died are remembered at Mass. If you are making detailed plans for a funeral at St Mary’s or St Patrick’s, we would encourage you to discuss them with the Parish Priest, and, of course, make sure that your next of kin know your wishes.

Chippenham also has a food bank project and facilitates regular collections from the parish. It has been suggested that we sing the ‘Missa de Angelis’ occasionally at Mass.