Worship at S. Michael’s is offered in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England and is richly sacramental and devotional in character.
It is centred on Christ in the Mass (the Eucharist or Holy Communion) – the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.
______________________________________
Services
Regular service times and descriptions are found further down this page.
Feast Days and special services are listed and described on the following page here.
New! for Michaelmas 2025: >> Service booklet
An Order of Service for Sung Mass at St. Michael’s Mount Dinham. ______________________________________
The full list of services from October to December 2025 can be viewed here.
Special Services for Advent and Christmas:
Sunday 30 November, Advent Sunday Mass, 11am
Sunday 7th December, Advent Procession 6pm
Wednesday 24th December, Midnight Mass 11pm Carols from the West Gallery, 11.30pm Solemn Mass
Thursday 25th December, Christmas Day 11am Solemn Mass with Procession
______________________________________
For all events and groups at the church, please visit our Events Pages here. ______________________________________
Choral Worship at St Michael’s Mount Dinham was formalised in the 1920′s and conforms to Common Worship, Order 1, Traditional language, using the Revised Common Lectionary.
The Usage of St Michael’s
The Usage was compiled in 2011 by the late Canon John Thurmer. Canon Thurmer was a much respected and beloved former Honorary Priest in Charge of St Michael’s. He was also Canon Emeritus of Exeter Cathedral and Chaplain of the University of Exeter. He was also an author, cook and organic gardener.
The Usage was commissioned as an online resource by the Heritage and Music Development Group at St. Michael’s Mount Dinham. This was part of the Organ Restoration Project in 2013-14 and was generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to enable us to share our heritage more widely.
_____________________________________
Quick links to more worship resources:
• The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office
• A Guide to the Mass
• The Use of Vestments
• Glossary
_____________________________________
A personal view..
Prof. Oliver Nicholson, former Chapel Warden, and author of the Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, described worship at S. Michael’s for the Heritage Open Days annual public exhibition:
“Worship at S. Michael’s follows formal patterns. This formality frees the private prayer of individuals so that it may be offered in a communal context. It helps to form intimate habits of devotion – and much of life is, after all, lived by habit … and it connects us to the worship of past generations of Christians, so freeing us from the illusion that Christianity was invented yesterday – by us. And we enjoy it.”
A Consuetudinary (or summary Ordinal) for St. Michael’s
This is gradually being compiled by Dr. Richard Parker, Church Warden, to accompany the Usage for Feast Days at St Michael’s Mount Dinham.
Ukrainian Orthodox Easter Services were held for the first time at St. Michael’s in 2025, with Fr Achilles and the Devon Ukrainian Association.
Read the press release here. Watch the ITV news story here.
Sung Mass, followed by the Angelus at 12 noon
Choral Evensong and Benediction, first Sunday of the month
Plainsong Vespers, with meditation
Plainsong Vespers, with meditation
Matins, Morning Prayer, or Lauds, is offered on various days throughout the year. It is traditionally offered early in the morning for Ascension Day (May 29th) at St. Michael’s, followed by a hearty breakfast. The character of Morning Prayer is that of praise. Read more…
Low Mass is a said service which takes place usually for a Feast or Saint’s day which does not fall on a Sunday. Occasionally this service is a Requiem Mass to commemorate the dead.
The Mass lies at the centre of worship at St Michael’s and a Sung Mass takes place at 11:00 on Sundays. Led by the choir, this service is enhanced through the music of plainsong, polyphony and harmonic choral music, the use of incense, the ringing of bells and the sprinkling of holy water, or asperges. Our Guide to Mass at St Michael’s is linked at the top of this page. For an Order of Service for Sung Mass, click here. The Angelus is sung at 12:00 noon on Sundays immediately following Mass. Read more…
This Angelus is sung or said at 12:00 noon on Sundays immediately following Mass. It is also sung at 18:00 before Evensong and Vespers. The Angelus (Latin for “angel”) is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. It is practised by reciting as versicle and response three Biblical verses describing the mystery; alternating with the salutation “Hail Mary”. Read more…
Choral Evensong & Benediction is held at 18:00 on the first Sunday of the month. It is led by the choir and includes sung Psalms of the day, readings from scripture, Canticles (the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis), one or more anthems and other prayers. Read more…
Vespers is sung to Plainchant by candlelight. It follows the Angelus which is sung at 18:00. Vespers is the Evening Office and its character is one of thanksgiving. Psalms, canticles, hymns and other prayers are sung. The service includes a 15 -minute period of silent meditation and prayer. Read more… Please feel free to download, print and share our Vespers poster.
Mission Statement
“ St Michael’s is a sacred and welcoming home where all can encounter inspiration, peace and belonging: rooted in ancient tradition, alive with music and liturgy, celebrating the mystery of the divine, and connected to the rhythms of nature and the human spirit.”