St James the Greater is currently only open for private prayer.

Despite the pandemic, the Church is still an active worshipping community which has much to offer people of all ages.

More details here.

The Church of St James the Greater, in the Diocese of Leicester, in the East Midlands, can be found just to the south of the centre of the City of Leicester, on the main A6, opposite Victoria Park.

With a design influenced by the great cathedral of Torcello in the Venetian lagoon, it was built between 1899 and 1914, to serve the expanding city of Leicester.

There is a thriving congregation, and the worship is varied, maintaining the best of the Anglican tradition, liturgically and musically, attracting people from all walks of life and from all over the county of Leicestershire and beyond.

The Ministry Team are here to offer support, advice and practical help at all the important times in family life.

Whether you want your baby baptised, a wedding service in church, need support when a death occurs, or just someone to talk to about the christian faith, the clergy are here to assist.

A DIFFERENT SORT OF CHURCH

Just like everywhere else, St James the Greater is a little different from normal.

The regular weekly leaflet is still being produced and can be download from this site as usual.

In addition to this website, we also have a presence on Facebook (see below)

Please check back here regularly for updates and information concerning worship resources.

Our life is going to be less characterised by attendance at church on Sunday, and more characterised by the prayer and service we offer each day. We may not be able to pray with people in the ways that we are used to, but we can certainly pray for people. And we can certainly offer practical care and support.

We are a vibrant and worshipping community and even thought we cannot be together in person, we can remain together in prayer.

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SERVICES

We're all hopeful that we'll be able to meet together for public worship again on 6th December, when we will mark the Second Sunday of Advent. There will be a Said Eucharist service in the morning at 10:30am, followed in the afternoon by our Advent Carol Service at 4.00pm.

As Advent Carols is one of our most popular occasions in St James' year, we are introducing a free ticketing system for this service. This will allow us to ensure as many of you are able to attend this wonderful service. It will also mean we are able to maintain social distancing within the church by monitoring our capacity.

If you would like to attend the Advent Carol Service, please email the and let us know how many seats you need.

Looking further ahead, there will be Sung Eucharist on the Third Sunday of Advent, 13th December, at 10:30am. The following week, 20th December, we will again have Said Eucharist at 10:30am. As this is the Fourth Sunday in Advent, we will then have our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols at 4.00pm (This will also be a ticketed service). We will celebrate Christmas Day with a Sung Eucharist service at 10:30am.

Please note that sadly, there will not be a Midnight Service on Christmas Eve this year, owing to the issues of cleaning the building between services.

Of course, all dependant upon future regulations.

December 6th - Said Eucharist (1030), Advent Carol Service (1600)
December 13th - Sung Eucharist (1030)
December 20th - Said Eucharist (1030), Nine Lessons (1600)
December 24th - No Services
December 25th - Sung Eucharist (1030)
December 27th - Said Eucharist (1030)

SERVICES ON SUNDAYS

We are once again prevented from worshipping together in church, but we'll still be recording a Sunday service and will make them available on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Plans are also afoot to allow us to live-stream our services in the near future as well.

Over the past few months, we've all experienced changes to our regular routines and the way we do things. Hopefully it will only be a short term measure as we ease out of lockdown and life, including our church life, returns to something closer to normal and we are all able to meet.

THE SHELL MAGAZINE

The Quarterly Editions of The Shell continue to be published, just not in hard copy for the foreseeable future, but as usual in glorious technicolour here on the website. The latest edition is available here.

Please let Graham () have your contributions as soon as possible, and in any event by 17th November."

Live Services

Christ the King - 22nd November 2020

During Lockdown, a short service with the Vicar

Remembrance Sunday - 8th November 2020

During Lockdown, a short service with the Vicar at the War memorial

All Souls Day - 1st November 2020

Join us for a Requiem Mass for All Souls Day, with the choir singing the exquisite Fauré Requiem. This is our first evening service since March and we were planning to restart a regular Choral Evensong this month. Sadly it appears that instead it will be our last choral service for at least four weeks, owing to the second lockdown. The choir will be back as soon as they can.

Download the Order of Service

Last Sunday after Trinity - 25th October 2020

Join us for Said Eucharist in the church. The choir are on their half-term break this week, but will be back next Sunday evening for a service for All Souls day.

Download the Order of Service

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity - 18th October 2020

Join us for Choral Eucharist in the church. We welcome as our celebrant this week, the Reverend Rosie Woodall, chaplain to the Bishop of Leicester.

INTROIT: Cantate Domino (Pitoni)
CHOIR HYMN: Praise my soul, the King of heaven
SETTING: Short Service (Batten)
PSALM: 96
ANTHEM: O sing joyfully (Batten)
CHOIR HYMN: My God, And Is Thy Table Spread

Download the Order of Service

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity - 11th October 2020

Join us as we celebrate Choral Eucharist in the church.

CHOIR HYMN: Guide me, O thou Great Redeemer
PSALM: 23
SETTING: Missa L'Hora Passa (Viadana)
ANTHEM: O Lord increase our faith (Loosemore)

Download the Order of Service

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity - 4th October 2020

Join us as we celebrate Choral Eucharist in the church.

SETTING: Short Service (Batten)
CHOIR GRADUAL HYMN: For the fruits of all creation
ANTHEM: If ye love me (Tallis)

(Apologies for the poor audio quality this week)

Download the Order of Service

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity - 27th September 2020

Join us as we celebrate Choral Eucharist for Harvest in the church.

INTROIT: Let the people praise thee (Rule)
PSALM: 65 (Woodward)
SETTING: Missa L'Hora Passa (Viadana)
ANTHEM: For the beauty of the earth (Rutter)
CHOIR HYMN: Come ye thankful people, come

Download the Order of Service

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity - 20th September 2020

Join us as we celebrate Choral Eucharist in the church. Yes, the choir are back for the first time in six months (suitably socially distanced of course).

INTROIT: Locus Iste (Bruckner)
PSALM: 105 (vv 1-15) (Pye)
SETTING: Byrd 4-part
ANTHEM: Ave Verum (Byrd)

Download the Order of Service