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
Lent 2021
Wednesday 17th February 2021 (Ash Wednesday) will mark the first day of Lent. Please read the Bishop of Ebbslfeet’s pastoral letter for Lent. The letter contains the Gospel reading for every day in Lent, along with the Rosary Meditations “of Holy Week”. You can download the letter here:
Bishop Jonathan has also made a Lent video, which can be watched here:
The Society, in conjunction with the See of Fulham and supported by Forward in Faith, is delighted to release A Covenant With God: A Journey through Lent 2021. Through this devotional booklet, Fr Philip Barnes reflects on the Old Testament readings from the Lenten Sunday Masses, exploring the story of God’s relationship with His people and preparing the way for the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, which are marked by the Church’s principal liturgies of the year over Holy Week and Easter.
The booklet can be used either on its own or in conversation with others in your parish community. There is a reflection for each Sunday in Lent with some questions to ponder in each case. A video introduction to the themes of the booklet will be provided by the Bishop of Fulham in due course and will be shared via The Society’s Facebook page and also made available via this page (https://www.sswsh.com/).
If you are looking for further study material, we recommend The Society in the Diocese of Leeds’s course on Communion and Catholicity. It is available here.
Lent is also a time during which we meditate upon the Stations of the Cross, often on the Fridays in Lent. For those looking to pray using the Stations at home, please think about using this booklet.
The Society fervently hopes that you may have a prayerful Lent in this time of national emergency and as we prepare to celebration Our Lord’s victory over death.
For further devotions, the Benefice is running a Lent course via Zoom on Tuesday nights. Please contact Rev Hugh Burton for the log in details.
It is traditional at St. Edmund’s that we raise money for the Additional Curates Society though Lent. We will not be able to collect our collection boxes from St. Edmund’s this year, however donations can still be made online. You can donate here: https://additionalcurates.co.uk/support-us/
Mass can be watched every Sunday live at 9 AM at this link: https://vimeo.com/shrineolw
May God with you through this Lenten season. Have a Holy Lent, and please stay safe.
February Newsletter
The February issue of the Newsletter is now available on this web site. The printed version is now also available.
Please click on this link to view this issue of the newsletter: Newsletter 142 February 2021-compressed
Lock-Down Update
A decision has been made that St. Edmund’s will remain closed throughout February. This decision is due to be reviewed at the end of the month.
Mass is still available to watch live every Sunday at 9 AM from the Shrine website: https://vimeo.com/shrineolw. The Benefice Zoom Service is also available at 11 AM.
This does mean that St. Edmund’s will be closed for Ash Wednesday. However please remember to download The Society Lent booklet.
Please also remember to pray for the nation every day through February at 6 PM.
Please keep checking this website for further updates, and stay safe.
