Countless generations of families have come to St Mary’s to mark important steps in their life journey. Although a member of the clergy would be happy to pray with you whatever you are going through, there are three particular rituals that have been a central part of the church’s life for centuries:

Christening or Baptism (they are the same thing!) is an essential part of what we do at St Mary’s. Our font sits right inside the entrance to the church building, and has done since 1170. Adults as well as children are welcomed into the people of God through baptism.

To enquire about a baptism, please contact the Parish Administrator

You can read more about having a baptism in Iffley here.

At a Wedding in church we bless and pray for the bride and groom as they publicly begin their married life together. St Mary’s is a popular venue for walking down the aisle.

The first step in planning a church wedding is to enquire with the Parish Administrator

You can find more information about weddings at Iffley here.

The Funeral service is both a celebration of the life of your loved one and a comfort in the midst of grieving. We entrust our loved ones into God’s loving hands. Although space in our Burial Ground is now highly limited, it is possible to have a funeral at St Mary’s immediately followed by burial or cremation elsewhere. Furthermore, it is possible to lay your loved one’s ashes to rest here after cremation.

Anyone can have a church funeral. The usual procedure when planning a funeral is to register the death and get in touch with a funeral director, who can then contact the vicar about having the funeral in church. You will then meet as soon as possible with the vicar or another minister from the church who will be taking the service. The minister will ask you about your loved one who has died so that we can make the service personal to you. You will also be able to make choices about the service, such as what readings or music you would like, or the minister can make a recommendation. The minister will report your choices to the funeral director.

For any questions about funerals or interments, please contact the Parish Administrator

You can find more information about funerals on the Church of England’s website.