ABOUT ST. MARY'S
St. Mary's has served as a spiritual landmark and gathering place for people of all faiths throughout the centuries. We are a welcoming and inclusive community, dedicated to fostering spiritual growth and helping people of all backgrounds come together to celebrate faith and life.
St Mary's Church is not only the landmark emblem for the borough of Harrow but it's also Harrow's oldest building, and is Grade-I listed. The name Harrow derives from the Anglo-Saxon word hearg which means worshipping place! The links of the church to Harrow's spiritual history are beautifully displayed in the magnificent stained glass windows in our clerestory.
Our Beginnings
St. Mary's Church was consecrated by St. Anselm soon after the arrival of William the Conquerer in Britain. Burial remains located in the corner of the church suggest that there may have been a Saxon church on the site even before the consecration, cementing our role as a long-lasting spiritual home.
Links with Harrow
We share a rich history with the community on the hill. We are the spiritual home and burial place of John Lyon, founder of Harrow School. For hundreds of years since, St Mary’s Church has been, and still is, a lively Christian place of worship. We continue to have a close relationship with Harrow school, and our church contains a number of memorials and gravestones associated with the school.
Our Spire
Our church spire is a monument to the deep spirituality of our community, and is Harrow's most recognisable landmark. It can be seen from miles away, and is the highest structure in Middlesex. Standing tall after 550 years, it is currently undergoing major renovations made possible through your generous donations.
Who You'll See
St. Mary's is currently in a period of interregnum as of June 2024, following the departure of Father James from the parish after nine years. During this time, we have the extreme good fortune to have the support of two voluntary priests, Reverend Alison Christian and Reverend Graham Dale.
Both Alison and Graham have fascinating backgrounds. Both of them know our congregation and the local area very well. If you are new to St. Mary's, please don't hesitate to introduce yourself. Reverend Alison Christian has some great stories of her childhood in Harrow where her father was an assistant chaplain and master at Harrow School.
Reverend Alison was ordained deacon in 1991 and was in the first group of women in London to be ordained priest at St Paul's Cathedral in 1994, which means she has been ordained 30 years this year. She then held an extensive range of posts varying from two roles as Vicar of local churches then as the Warden of a Retreat House in Leicester and latterly she worked as Advisor and Advocate for Spiritual Direction at the London Centre for Spiritual Direction, available to help with any requests from individuals and parishes across the diocese.
Reverend Graham Dale is from Ayrshire in Scotland and has recently completed all the training of priesthood. Graham has a public affairs job where he communicates business issues to politicians. He has four adult sons, who fortunately don’t need as much attention as they used to. His wife Gillian, is a local GP in Harrow, and his dog Lomond is named after the Scottish Loch! Graham and his family live in Rickmansworth.