Holy Week & Easter 2023
22 Feb 2023 • General news
Palm Sunday 2nd April
10:00 a.m.
Blessing of Palm Crosses and Mass with Passion Narrative.
We begin with the distribution and Blessing of Palm Crosses, in the Church Hall, followed by a procession into the Church for Mass with a Narration of the Passion of Jesus.
Maundy Thursday 6th April
7:30 p.m. Traditional Mass of the Last Supper with Foot Washing and Procession to the Altar of Repose
We recall the institution of the Eucharist by our Lord, on the night before he died. 'Maundy' derives from the Latin
Mandatum meaning commandment, and comes from the words Jesus used after washing his disciples' feet: "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another." His action is repeated by the priest during the Liturgy. By ancient custom, Mass is not celebrated on Good Friday, so the Sacrament is reserved on Maundy Thursday for use on the next day. At the end of the Mass it is carried in a sloemn procession to an Altar of Repose where, honoured by lights and flowers, it is kept until the next day. Then the altars are stripped of their ornaments without ceremony as a watch before the Blessed Sacrament begins.
9:00 p.m. to Midnight Solemn watch Before the Altar of Repose
The watch is kept until midnight, recalling our Lord's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, and offering prayer for the world for which he died. The watch ends with a said service of Tenebrae at midnight.
Good Friday 7th April
10:00 a.m. Stations of the Cross
12 Noon. Traditional Good Friday Liturgy
The first part of the Solemn Good Friday Liturgy is the
Liturgy of the Word, three Bible readings ending with St John's account of the Passion of Jesus.Then come Solemn Prayers. The most moving part is the Veneration of the Cross, a symbolic way of paying homage to our Lord in his Passion and of dedicating our lives to following the way of the cross. Then the Blessed Sacrament reserved on Thursday is brought back from the Altar of Repose, and the service ends with Communion.
Holy Saturday 8th April
9:00 p.m. Ceremony of New Fire and First Mass of Easter with Renewal of Baptismal Promises
We begin outside the church with the
Service of Light in which the resurrection is symbolised by the kindling of the new fire from which the Paschal candle is lit, followed by a procession into the church. If the weather is fine we may start in the park opposite the church. We continue with the Liturgy of the Word. with readings from account of Creation in Genesis to the Gospel account of the Empty Tomb. The Liturgy of Baptism begins with a procession to the font where the water is blessed and we all renew our own baptismal vows. The rservice reaches its climax in the Liturgy of the Eucharist – the first Mass of Easter.
Easter Sunday 9th April
10:00 a.m. Easter Day Mass
Solemn Mass with Renewal of Baptismal Vows, followed by a children's Easter Egg Hunt