The Parish Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe

- From a painting by Roger Joyce
The Church of St Mary & St Eanswythe, with St Saviour Folkestone, exists to make Jesus Christ known in Folkestone through its worship, its fellowship and its mission. It looks to encourage its members, and the people of the community of which it is a part, to realise their full potential as children of God.
The church is open for visiting between 11.00 and 13.00 Mondays to Saturdays, and our regular Communion services are at 10.30 on Sundays and Thursdays: details of this week’s services and other news are here. Please check with the Parish Office if you need to know whether the church is due to be open on a specific day: opening is subject to availability of volunteer welcomers.
Mission and Ministry Priorities
Please click here to read about our mission and ministry priorities over the next two years, and listen to sermons on various aspects of the priorities which Father John and our other preachers will record.
Artists & designers sought to create ‘home’ for remains of England’s earliest verified saint
The parish church of St Mary and St Eanswythe, in Folkestone, Kent, is seeking designs for a new reliquary to house the relics of St Eanswythe. The relics were scientifically verified in early 2020 when Kent archaeological and history experts, working with Queen’s University in Belfast, confirmed that the human remains were almost certainly those of St Eanswythe. The bones are thought to be the earliest verified remains of an English saint – and the only currently verified remains of the Kentish royal dynasty. Click here for further details.
Lent Course: Wednesdays Beginning 1st March
Visiting times over the winter months
We’re sorry that due to unavailability of volunteer welcomers the church will be closed to visitors on Mondays and Tuesdays over the winter. The church will normally be open for visiting and private prayer between 11.00 and 13.00 on Wednesdays to Saturdays.

Organ Appeal
Our historic organ is in desperate need of major and expensive refurbishment. Please follow our organ appeal web site at https://www.eanswythes-organ.com or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/eanswythesorgan for information about the organ itself and events in support of the appeal.
Please visit the Choir and Organ page for more information about the choir.
Covid-19 Guidelines
- Although not mandatory, we ask that you wear a face covering if you can.
- Track & Trace registration and social distancing remain voluntary – before sitting next to someone please check they don’t mind.
- Priests will dip your wafer in the wine before you receive it. If you prefer an undipped wafer, please let them know.
- Refreshments will be offered after our Sunday service.
Eucharist services will be live streamed on our Facebook Page.