Good Friday and Holy Saturday . . .

This was the scene greeting parishioners who joined together to pray the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday.  A bare church with a forceful reminder of what had happened yesterday on Good Friday - the Crucifix which we had venerated during the solemn liturgy taking centre stage on the stripped altar; our crucified Lord flanked on either side by the simplest of wooden candlesticks . . . 

It was encouraging to see a good number coming along to pray the Office together.  Not long afterwards our flower arrangers got to work to transform the barren space into a place of beauty, all ready to receive our Risen Lord at the Easter Vigil and the First Mass of the Resurrection this evening.

Here are just a few shots to give a flavour of how it looks but the photographs don't really do it justice.

Our Easter Garden . . . 

Still waiting  . . . 

St Ann . . .

And of course her daughter, Our Blessed Lady . . .

If you'd to see more, please join us for the Easter Vigil at 8pm this evening.  All are warmly invited!

Holy Thursday . . .

It is always a very moving liturgy on Holy Thursday, especially for the celebrating priest.  Last night's Holy Thursday Mass at St Ann's was no exception.  It was a very reverent Mass from the entrance procession, the Liturgy of the Word and the homily; the Washing of the Feet, or Mandatum; through to the procession to the Altar of Repose after Holy Communion and the Stripping of the Altar after the silent exit of the celebrant and altar servers.

Here are just a few shots of our Altar of Repose to give an idea of the prayerful scene as many stayed behind to watch with Our Lord until Midnight.

And here is our Altar of Repose just after midnight when the Blessed Sacrament had been removed to a place of safety overnight.  Hats off to our florists for a beautiful and fitting display!

Finally, the sanctuary looking suitably bereft and desolate after a very reverent Stripping of the Altar by our altar servers.

Veiling for Passiontide . . .

As promised a couple of photos taken after Mass this morning.

One has to be quick to take any photos after Mass at St Ann's.  Turn your back for five minutes and our very efficient altar servers have already set up for Benediction this afternoon!

Lent . . . Passiontide . . . The Easter Triduum . . .

Today after Mass, the ironing board was much in evidence as the veils were taken out and made ready for the veiling of the statues and the Crucifix.  

Hopefully we might have a photo or two to post tomorrow.

Our Lenten preparations move into a more intense phase as we enter Passiontide and move inexorably towards Our Lord's Passion, through Palm Sunday and the incredibly moving liturgies of the Easter Triduum culminating of course in Christ's triumph over death as we celebrate His resurrection at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening.

I hope that we're going to see a full church for all our Easter liturgies.

Here are the details of the Easter Triduum at St Ann's.  I look forward to seeing you.