St Mark’s is part of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, in the Croydon Area, which has been serving the people of South Norwood since 1852. St Mark’s Parish has approximately 2,000 residents. The houses vary from flats through to a few detached properties. St Mark’s Church of England School is attached to the church. Other schools in the Parish: Rylands Primary and South Norwood Primary.
We are a congregation whose main service is our Sunday morning Parish Eucharist (Communion). Anyone who is a member of any Christian Church is welcome to come up and take Communion - or to come up for a blessing. There is also a Holy Communion service at 8 am and a said Evensong at 6 pm.
Baptisms always take place in this main service, usually on the last Sunday of the month.
During the service there is a Sunday School in the Hall for 5-11 year olds.
We have special services at Christmas - a Carol Service, Children’s Nativity play, Midnight Mass and Christmas Morning; a Candlemas Service (around Feb 2nd); Ash Wednesday, Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday (a Procession); each day of Holy Week – two services and a meditation on Good Friday, and joining the Churches Together in South Norwood (CTSN) for the Good Friday Walk of Witness. There are other special services – All Age Services which include children especially, for example at Harvest.
As a member of Churches Together in South Norwood we share a number of services with other local churches: The Good Friday walk of Witness, Harvest and Advent services as well as a network of House Groups during Lent.
There are a number of social and fund raising events: Christmas and Easter Fairs; Book Sales, Quizzes, Dances, Harvest Suppers and Parish Outings.
We have Quiet Days (for prayer and meditation) at the beginning of Advent, Lent, Holy Week and House groups in Lent (with CTSN).
We have a Mothers’ Union that meets monthly either in the afternoon or evening.
Children over 7 can prepare to take Communion before Confirmation; and 10+ year olds - as well as adults of course - can prepare for Confirmation (usually in May/June) which is shared with three other local Anglican churches (Holy Innocents’, Saint Luke’s and Saint Alban’s).