Holy Week Service Schedule

Holy Week Services at Saint Bartholomew’s

Palm Sunday, 13 April

9.00am  Said Eucharist in the Chapel of Remembrance
11.00am The solemn Eucharist of Palm Sunday is a sung service that includes the blessing of palms and a reading of the passion narrative.
5.00pm  Solemn Evensong and Benediction

Monday, 14 April

7.30pm  A short, said service of Compline with a read reflection

Tuesday, 15 April

7.30pm  A short, said service of Late Evening Office with a read reflection

Spy Wednesday, 16 April

7.30pm  Tenebrae, the ‘service of shadows,’ is a service of readings and anthems by candlelight.  It is an ancient service of the Church traditionally held on ‘Spy Wednesday’ to reflect the events of the passion.
 

Maundy Thursday, 17 April

7.30pm  The solemn Eucharist of Maundy Thursday is a sung service that marks the institution of the Lord’s Supper and the events that followed when Jesus finished the meal with his disciples.  The altar is stripped and the mood changes from one of celebration to a sober vigil.  The service ends in darkness. You will be invited to stay for a while in prayer and watchfulness around the altar of repose. The watch will end one hour after the service’s conclusion.

Good Friday, 18 April

12.00pm  The observance of Good Friday begins with the men of the choir singing choral Matins. When Matins ends, the church will remain open for silent reflection and prayer.
1.30pm  The Liturgy of Good Friday includes the reading of the passion narrative, the litany of Good Friday, the veneration of the cross, and Communion from the reserved sacrament.

The church will remain open from 12.00pm-3.00pm on Good Friday.
You are welcome to come at any time during this period.

Holy Saturday, 19 April

7.30pm  The Great Vigil of Easter begins around the Paschal fire with the lighting of the Easter candle. On this night, we renew our baptismal vows and celebrate the Eucharist together as we keep the vigil and await the morning joy of Easter.
 

Easter Sunday, 20 April

9.00am   Said Eucharist in the Chapel of Remembrance
11.00am  The solemn Eucharist of Easter Day continues the jubilant celebration of the resurrection begun the previous evening.  Timpani and trumpets will accompany the choir and organ as a musical expression of that joy and exultation.

There will not be an evening service on Easter Sunday.

Deconsecration of Christ Church Leeson Park

Christ Church has been a part of our parish for many decades.  Although it was closed in 2007, it still operated with a modified right of use, with a Eucharist every Wednesday since 2008.  A licence agreement for use by the Romanian Orthodox Church has also functioned well for many years. Unfortunately, the building is too large for our purposes now and has become unmanageable for us as a parish.  The Select Vestry have therefore made the difficult decision to sell the property.  On Friday, 7 March at 2.00pm there will be a final said Eucharist in Christ Church Leeson Park.  Archbishop Michael Jackson will undertake the act of deconsecration the following Tuesday, 11 March at 7.00pm.  Anyone wishing to attend either or both of these services is welcome.

Ash Wednesday

We will mark the beginning of Lent with the Ash Wednesday solemn Eucharist on 5 March at 7.30pm.  This service will include the litany of penitence and imposition of ashes.  Details of the music at this service may be found here.  All are welcome.

World Day of Prayer Service: Saturday, 8 March | 11.00am

This year’s artwork, entitled “Wonderfully Made”, was created by the mother-daughter team Tarani Napa and Tevairangi Napa.

 

This year’s Women’s World Day of Prayer service will be held in the Methodist Centenary Church (Leeson Park) on Saturday, 8 March at 11.00am.  The order of service has been prepared by the churches of the Cook Islands, with its theme—I Made You Wonderful—inspired by psalm 139.  All are welcome.

More information about the artists, the Cook Islands, and the annual World Day of Prayer may be found here.

Gaudete Singers: Saturday, 8 March | 8.00pm

The Gaudete Singers return to Saint Bartholomew’s for their spring concert, Vinea Mea Electa: Music for Lent by Poulenc and Vaughan Williams.  This performance will showcase two sacred masterpieces of the early twentieth century that, although both contemporary, represent very different and contrasting styles.  Vinea Mea Electa is the second of Francis Poulec’s Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence, a series of four Lenten motets produced during a period of mourning for his friend and fellow composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud.  The Gaudete Singers will perform all four of these motets before moving on to Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Mass in G minor.  Although Vaughan Williams was a self-declared agnostic, he composed several well-received liturgical pieces throughout his career.  Mass in G minor reflects the influence of Byrd and Tallis, but in the distinctive twentieth century style for which Vaughan Williams is known.

Tickets are €20 (€15 concession; €5 students) and available at the door.  Payment may be made by cash or card.  All tickets include a glass of wine or soft drink after the concert.

Christmas Service Schedule

Our services over Christmas are as follows:

Tuesday, 24 December

23.15: Midnight Mass of Christmas
Setting:  Widor  Messe solennelle
Anthem:  Stewart  On this day

 

Wednesday, 25 December

11.00: Solemn Eucharist of Christmas Day
Setting:  Haydn  Little Organ Mass
Anthem:  Dexter  The holly and the ivy

 

Sunday, 29 December

9.00: Said Eucharist

11.00: Solemn Eucharist

 

Wednesday, 1 January

13.00: Said Eucharist [The naming and circumcision of Christ]

 

All services will be held in Saint Bartholomew’s.

Termination of Wednesday said Eucharist

From this month forward, there is no longer a said Eucharist every Wednesday.  Instead, these said Eucharists will now be celebrated only on feast days (or the nearest possible date) at 1.00pm.  The first of these will be the feast of Saint Matthew, which will be celebrated on Saturday, 21 September.  The feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be observed on Sunday, 8 September and the feast of Saint Michael and All Angels will be observed on Sunday, 29 September, both at the main services.