Holy Week and Easter . . .

Sadly we don't have the usual photos of our Palm Sunday Procession to post this year as the beginning to our Holy Week update.  The rain defeated us and we had to cancel our planned procession but we had a beautiful Palm Sunday Mass nevertheless.

Of course the Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper with the Washing of the Feet which is such a moving and humbling experience for a priest.

We watch with Our Lord up to Midnight.  Again, it is very emotional; entering the church, almost in darkness with the glow from the Altar of Repose and seeing people keeping watch with Our Lord in silent prayer; some kneeling, some sitting.

In fact, from a priest's point of view, I think the Chrism Mass at our Cathedral in Arundel is also a very moving liturgy and a precursor to the emotional journey we travel during the Triduum.

Our Easter liturgies are well under way now, having just Celebrated the Passion of the Lord and the Veneration of the Cross.  It was wonderful to see a full church and the way people entered into the solemnity of the liturgy with such reverence.  Our readers read well and the Gospel reading of the Passion narrated by our Deacon with individual parts read by readers from the body of the church was very moving, as always.

As a slight diversion from the liturgies of the Easter Triduum, we have for many years participated in an ecumenical Procession of Witness with other Christians in Banstead on the morning of Good Friday.  Once again, many people turned up to walk through the village following behind a large wooden Cross and stopping for a brief mediation at several 'Stations' along the way.

Here is a photo from today's Procession.  You can find many more photos on our parish Facebook Page

Now we are entering that quiet, desolate time in between the Crucifixion of Our Lord on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  We know what is awaiting us on Sunday; can you imagine what the disciples must have felt like not knowing this . . . ?

We enter into the tomb with Him and if you enter into our church in the morning tomorrow, I think you will immediately sense that something is missing . . .

The door of the tabernacle is open and empty for all to see.  The altar is bare and the whole atmosphere is one of emptiness and waiting.

Easter Triduum . . .

Here are the details of the Easter liturgies at St Ann's. Also at the bottom of the page, you will find details of extra times when I will make myself available for the Sacrament of Confession.

Please excuse the lack of posting on the blog of late. I'm afraid the demands of a busy, active parish (thanks be to God) make it very difficult to keep up to date with all the 'extras'.  Do please keep an eye on our parish Facebook page and our parish Twitter feed. It is a little easier to keep them up to date with the odd comment or photo, I find.

Gaudete in Domino semper . . .

'Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Dominus enim propre est.'

'Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.  Indeed the Lord is very near.'

As we are fast approaching Third Sunday of Advent, also known as 'Gaudete Sunday' with reference to the Entrance Antiphon for the day which is given above, it seems like a good time to post the times of our Christmas Masses here at St Ann's.

Let us indeed rejoice as the Lord is very near!  We look forward to seeing you at one of our Christmas Masses. All are very welcome.

40 Hours Devotion . . . No words necessary . . .

The final few moments of Adoration this morning before our concluding Benediction . . . 

(Please click on photo to see enlargement)

No words necessary . . .

40 Hours Devotion . . .

Our 40 Hours Devotion has begun.  We were delighted to welcome Fr Peter Edwards, Parish Priest of St Joseph's, New Malden to our parish last night as he celebrated a beautiful Mass to open our devotion.  I'm very grateful to our altar servers who came to serve Mass after school or work, including one of our younger servers - well done!  Fr Peter also preached a very helpful homily on the Blessed Eucharist.

It was encouraging to see a good number present for the Mass and many stayed behind for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Adoration immediately after Mass. I was also pleased to see a few 'strangers' amongst the congregation also.  All are very welcome to call in at any time.

I always find it very moving to see the steady stream of people coming and going quietly throughout the day . . .  and the night. There is an almost tangible atmosphere of prayer in our simple but beautiful church. We are very blessed here at St Ann's to have so many good and holy parishioners.  God is good indeed!

Adoration continues throughout the day today and throughout the night until the closing Benediction at 9.10am on Thursday morning.  Parish Mass will follow this at 9.30am on Thursday morning.

A busy Good Shepherd Sunday . . .

It has been another busy Sunday in the parish.  At the end of the 10am Mass we had the May crowning of  the statue of Our Lady.  This necessitates the use of a ladder and ascending the same in priestly vestments but all was accomplished successfully and safely.

Although we didn't sing this particular hymn today for the Crowning, you might like to hear it anyway . . .

Immediately after Mass we moved straight into the Opening and Blessing of our new Annexe. You'll find a few photos of that on our Annexe blog.

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!