The Parish of St Giles' with St Mary's, Pontefract

Welcome to The Parish of St Giles with St Mary’s, Pontefract

St Giles Church, Pontefract

St Giles' Church is situated at the heart of Pontefract town centre. A significant re-ordering took place in 2012-2013. The services at St Giles range from simple forms of worship to sung services. Our services on Wednesday mornings, Friday lunchtimes and the 8.00am Service (the first Sunday in the month) follow a more simpler form of worship with a simple celebration of Communion. The 10:15am Service of the Eucharist on Sunday mornings is a sung service with parts of the Eucharist sung by our wonderful choir. On Feast Days incense is used at this service. Our children’s group meets during the service. Choral Evensong takes place on the First Sunday of the month except in August. On Fridays during term time, organ recitals take place in church at 1.00pm. Our organ is one of the finest in the north of England. St Giles plays an active role in supporting local charities and organisations. A number of musical concerts take place in the church throughout the year. We actively support Pontefract Food Bank and during the longer school holiday St Giles Food Share (helping provide food for families) is run by a group of volunteers. Every Wednesday between 1-3pm ‘Lunch With Us’ takes place in the cafe which provides wholesome food for homeless and people with little resources. There is also a church café serving coffee/teas and cakes which is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays to coincide with the town's market days. We have a very active Mothers' Union and a toddler group (Tiddlywinks) meets every Thursday morning. The St Giles' Centre has a number of meeting rooms which are used by local groups as a venue for their activities. A separate website gives details of the community groups who use its facilities. Our bell ringers meet weekly. St Mary’s Church, Chequerfield

St Mary's Church meets for worship in the hall of the St Mary's Community Centre, Chequerfield. Please see our A Church Near You page to find out when services are taking place. We're very friendly and welcoming to all visitors. We play an active part in the local community by supporting our local Food Bank and a Holiday Feeding Programme for families who would otherwise struggle without free school meals during the long school holidays. Our regular fundraising Coffee Afternoons give us an opportunity to engage with the local community and to encourage them to join in with our Church activities. In 2017 we celebrated our 60th Anniversary. The original St Mary's Church on this site was built in 1957 to serve the Chequerfield estate which was built after World War II to provide new council housing in Pontefract. In 2003 the church was demolished and the St Mary's Centre was built on the site and opened in 2004. Pontefract has a long association of having a church dedicated to St Mary. An earlier church on the site of St Giles' Church in the town centre which was called St Mary de Foro translated as 'St Mary in the Marketplace'. From the latter part of the 19th Century and through the early part of the 20th Century there was a Mission dedicated to St Mary on Watergate (near where the Haribo factory now stands). From there local clergy and the Church Army ministered to the residents of the Tanshelf area of Pontefract.