Christian Aid Week
Christian Aid Week starts tomorrow (Monday 10th May 2021). To find out more about this year’s appeal, and to donate, please click here:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/key-appeals/christian-aid-week
AGM
St. Edmund’s AGM will be after the 11 AM Mass on Sunday 16th May 2021.
May Newsletter
The May edition of the Newsletter has now been printed, and should be avail in church. Most of the web pages have been updated, and the downloadable version of the newsletter will be available here when it is available.
May 2021 (Mary’s Month)
Services at St. Edmund’s remain at the same times throughout May:
Sundays: 11 AM: Mass
Wednesdays: 12:15 PM Mass
Pope Francis is encouraging everyone to pray the Rosary through the month of May. If you are unsure how to pray the Rosary, the Bishop of Fulham has produced the following resources:
Digital Booklet – How to Pray The Rosary Booklet
Printer Friendly Sheet – Printer-friendly Rosary guide
The Society of Mary have produced a ‘Praying at Home with the Blessed Virgin Mary’ booklet – DOWNLOAD
Other free resources are available from The Church Union.
Watch and share the film below:
The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (Anglican) will celebrate the May Celebration at Home at 12 PM on 8th May 2021. The Mass will be broadcast live on You Tube. Please post pictures wearing your medals with the hashtag #maydevotion2021 and tag The Society of Mary in the post, so we can all be together online. The Mass can we watched here: https://youtube.com/c/TheSocietySSWSH
Thursday 13th May 2021 will be Ascension Day, a Principle Feast Day. And following Ascension Day we will move into the Thy Kingdom Come Novena. Sunday 23rd May 2021 is Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church. Please stay tuned to this website for further updates.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
It is with great sadness that we were informed today, Friday 9th April 2021, that HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has died. May he rest in peace, and rise in glory.
At St. Edmund’s we will have a minutes silence before the Mass this Sunday (11th April 2021), and we shall pray for him during the service. Everyone is welcome to join us to pay their respects.
Due to Covid-19, we are not allowed to have a book of condolence. However there is an online book here: https://www.churchofengland.org/remembering-his-royal-highness-prince-philip
Eastertide 2021
The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In Eastertide, we walk with the risen Christ, through his Ascension (Thursday 13th May 2021) to Pentecost Sunday. Services remain at the usual times:
Sunday: 11 AM Mass
Wednesday: 12:15 PM Mass
You are welcome to join us for any of our services.
The Bishop of Ebbsfleet has posted the Easter video below:
April newsletter
The April issue of the church newsletter is now available, both in printed form and via the web site.
Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter 2021
Please remember to put your clocks forward an hour this Sunday morning.
This Sunday (28th March 2021) is Palm Sunday, and marks the start of Holy Week. Through Holy Week we move towards Christ’s death on the cross. Then at Easter we celebrate his resurrection.
Everyone is welcome to join us for any of our services through Holy Week and Easter. When coming to church please remember to wear to mask, to sanitise your hands as you enter the church building, and to keep to social distancing guidelines. From 29th March 2021, up to 6 people or 2 households can meet outside, so we will be able to fellowship again outside the church building after our Easter services. We cannot, however, offer tea or coffee after our services at this time.
Our Holy Week and Easter services are as follows:
Palm Sunday (28th March 2021)
11 AM: Mass
Spy Wednesday (31st March 2021)
12:15 AM: Mass
Good Friday (2nd April 2021)
7 PM: Passion of Christ (Liturgy of Good Friday)
Easter Vigil (3rd April 2021)
7 PM: Mass
Easter Sunday (4th April 2021)
11 AM: Mass
For anyone who is isolating and unable to attend church, the following online services are also available:
Palm Sunday 28 March
at 9am in Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Mass
https://youtube.com/c/TheAnglicanShrineofOurLadyofWalsingham
Tuesday 30 March
at 11.30am in Pusey House, Oxford
Ebbsfleet Chrism Mass
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChapterofPuseyHouse
Good Friday 2 April
at 12 noon in Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Stations & Veneration of the Relic of the True Cross
https://youtube.com/c/TheAnglicanShrineofOurLadyofWalsingham
Easter Day 4 April
9 am in Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Mass
https://youtube.com/c/TheAnglicanShrineofOurLadyofWalsingham
6 pm in Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Regina Coeli & Shrine Prayers
https://youtube.com/c/TheAnglicanShrineofOurLadyofWalsingham
Stations of the Cross
The Society is delighted to support an excellent initiative from the parish of St Stephen, Gloucester Road whereby a devotional video on each of the Stations of the Cross will be released daily from Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday. We offer this video with our prayers for the work and witness of that parish and all other Society parishes as they prepare for the climax of the Church’s year over Holy Week and Eastertide.
The Bishop of Ebbsfleet has released an Easter Letter, the letter can be read here:
Please have a blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter.
Passiontide 2021
This Sunday (21st March 2021) is Passion Sunday, and marks the beginning of Passiontide. Services at St. Edmund’s continue in their normal pattern:
11 AM Sundays – Mass
12:15 PM Wednesdays – Mass
Easter Services are still to be finalised, however there will be an Easter Vigil Mass at 7 PM on Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday Mass at 11 AM as usual.
We will not be open for Stations of the Cross on Good Friday; however, The Society have published this booklet so the Stations of the Cross can be celebrated at home:
www.sswsh.com/uploads/StationsOfTheCross2021.pdf
The Pastoral Statement can be downloaded here:
We look forward to seeing you at St. Edmund’s this Passiontide, as we walk with Jesus towards his death on the Cross. Please remember to sanitise your hands, and social distance while in church.
March Newsletter
Opening dates and times
An update from Jon Harcourt:
Having carefully followed directives and suggestions for church openings over the past year, and especially leading to the recent lockdown, I am pleased to say that St Edmunds will be re-opening this coming Sunday ( 28th February) for the 11am Mass with Fr John Oakes as Celebrant.
Our last service was on the 10th January, so it will have been 7 Sundays since we have been able to receive the Blessed Sacrament.
The social distancing, masks, hand cleansing policies will be back in place – and the church will probably be safer than supermarkets!
Our thanks go to the priests who have supported us during many good and sometimes difficult times, and we will keep you updated on the news as it happens, especially for services.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, but only if you feel confident enough and are not isolating because of a medical condition.
Be strong – be safe – be sensible.
God be with you,
Jon
