An ancient civic tradition
William Canynges of Redcliffe Street - merchant, five-times Mayor of Bristol, its MP and a principal benefactor of St Mary Redcliffe - was ordained priest after the death of his wife in 1467 and first celebrated Mass in the church on Whitsunday the following year.
To commemorate this, William Spenser, also sometime Mayor of Bristol, made provision in 1493 for three sermons to be preached before the Mayor and commonalty on the days after Whitsun; a change to one sermon on Whitsunday was made at the time of the Reformation.
Those attending carried nosegays and the floor of the church was strewn with rushes, traditions that are maintained to this day in the service held annually ever since and attended by the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the City in their traditional robes and regalia.
This year St Mary Redcliffe will be celebrating this auspicious event as a weekend festival.
RUSH SUNDAY WEEKEND 2025
Saturday 7 June Times tbc
At Faithspace Community Centre, St Mary Redcliffe South Churchyard and St Mary Redcliffe.
On Saturday the 18th of May we will be hosting a community day celebrating our local Redcliffe community. There will be children’s activities, one of which will be the old tradition of posey making for the Sunday service. All are welcome to join with us.
Sunday 8 June 10.30
At St Mary Redcliffe Church, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA
Rush Sunday Service, Feast of Pentecost.
Come Along – We’d be delighted to see you.
There is no need to book to attend our Saturday activities. However, as with many of our services, St Mary Redcliffe can get very full and as such we asking those who wish to attend the Sunday service to let us know.
If you would like to attend this year's service, please order free tickets below:
St Mary Redcliffe Church