Visit
Common questions
The things people ask most often, answered plainly. If yours is not here, please ring or write — nobody minds being asked.
Coming for the first time
- Do I need to be a member, or a regular churchgoer, to come?
- No. There is nothing to join and no need to tell us you are coming. Everyone is welcome, whether you have been coming for fifty years or have never been inside a church before.
- Are children welcome?
- Very. Children and young people of every age are welcome at every service, and there is a children's corner for under-8s in the church itself. On the Sundays they are running, children from 5 to 11 are invited to Children's Church in the Crypt Room and 11 to 18 year olds to Youth Church in the Sacristy. Neither runs every week, so it is worth checking if you are coming especially for one — though you never need to check before bringing a child to church.
- Is the church wheelchair accessible?
- Yes. There is step-free access into the church, an accessible WC and a hearing loop. The crypt room used for meetings has its own entrance at street level. If you need to know something specific — a door width, turning space, where to set down — please ring the parish office and we will go and measure it rather than guess.
- Is there a toilet?
- Yes, including an accessible WC.
Services
- What time are the Sunday services?
- Sung Family Mass is at 10am every Sunday, and there is a quieter said Mass at 8am. On the first Sunday of the month there is Sung Choral Evensong at 6pm, except in January and August; on other Sundays, Evening Prayer at 6pm.
- Are there services during the week?
- Morning Prayer at 8.30am and Evening Prayer at 5pm, Monday to Friday, though neither is said during August. There is also a said Mass on weekdays, but the time moves from day to day, so please check the diary on this site or ring the parish office. There are no public services on Saturday.
- Can I watch the service online?
- Yes. Services are streamed to YouTube, and the weekly service sheet is published alongside so you can follow the words. If you would like to receive Communion at home, or would simply value a visit, please let the parish office know.
Getting here
- Is there parking?
- There is on-street parking on Lewisham Park, which is free at weekends. The church is five minutes' walk from Ladywell station, and buses stop on the High Street outside.
- Can I look round the church during the week?
- The churchyard is open every day. The church itself opens when somebody can be here to keep it open, which varies from week to week — this site lists what is open today. There is a heritage trail through the church and churchyard with audio commentaries.
Baptisms, weddings and funerals
- Can I have my child baptised here?
- Yes, and you do not need to be a churchgoer. Baptisms are usually on the first Sunday of the month, and are for children or adults. Contact the parish office to arrange it.
- Can I get married here?
- In many cases yes, including if you live in the parish or have a qualifying connection to it. We can also read banns here if you are marrying elsewhere. Contact the parish office and we will talk it through.
- How do I arrange a funeral?
- Your funeral director will usually contact us, but you are very welcome to ring the parish office yourself, whether or not the person who died came to church. Funerals can be held in church, at a crematorium chapel, or in the churchyard.
The building
- How old is the church?
- There has been a church on this site for eleven hundred years. The tower has stood since 1512; the rest was rebuilt in the 1770s after the medieval church was taken down, and the building is Grade II* listed. Nineteen parishes have been carved out of this one since 1854.
- Can I hire the church or a room?
- Yes. There is a self-contained crypt room for up to 30 people with its own street entrance, kitchen and accessible WC, and the church itself seats 250 for concerts, conferences and filming. Contact the parish office for rates.
Ask us something else
If your question is not here, please ring 020 4630 7051 or email [email protected]. Nobody minds being asked, and there is no question about coming to church that we have not been asked before.