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.
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HOLY WEEK & EASTER 2026
Monday 30 March
6pm Evening Prayer
Officiant: Richard Parker
Tuesday 31 March
6pm Vespers
Officiant: Tony Pugh
Wednesday 1 April: Spy Wednesday
6pm Stations of the Cross
Officiant: Richard Parker
Thursday 2 April: Maundy Thursday
7.30pm Mass of the Last Supper and Procession to the Altar of Repose
Celeb: Revd. Hannah Alderson
Friday 3 April: Good Friday
10am Good Friday Liturgy: Adoration of the Cross; Mass of the Pre-Sanctified
Celeb: Revd. Scott Angell
8pm TENEBRAE: The Lamentations of Jeremiah
Celeb: Revd. Scott Angell
Saturday 4 April: Holy Saturday
8pm Blessing of the New Fire, Paschal Candle, First Mass of Easter
Celeb: Revd. Scott Angell
Sunday 5 April: Easter Day
11am Sung Mass (Procession)
Celeb: Revd. Tanya Hockley-Still
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New! >> Service booklet
An Order of Service for Sung Mass at St. Michael’s Mount Dinham.
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.
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Quick links to more worship resources:
• The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office
• A Guide to the Mass
• The Use of Vestments
• Glossary
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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.”
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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.
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Ukrainian Orthodox Easter Services and Christmas Celebrations were held for the first time at St. Michael’s in 2025 with the Devon Ukrainian Association.
Read the press release from Easter 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 space where all can encounter peace, inspiration and beauty: rooted in ancient tradition, alive with music and cultural events, celebrating the mystery of the divine, and connections to one another, to the rhythms of nature and the human spirit."
St Michael's PCC, July 2025. ”