Holy Week and Easter 2025
Holy Week is one of the most special times of the Christian year, the time when we journey with Jesus to the cross, sharing the grief and desolation of his disciples and friends, before we share in the utter joy of Easter and the central fact of our faith that Jesus is risen. Walking this journey with Jesus is an essential part of our faith and we encourage you to come to as much as you can. The more we participate, the more spiritually enriching the journey will become.
Palm Sunday starts as a moment of great joy, as we cheer with the crowds who welcome Jesus to Jerusalem, but then takes a darker turn as we remember the passion.
The masses of Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday deepen our involvement with the story, focussing on the anointing of Jesus’ feet by Mary of Bethany, the denial of Peter and the betrayal of Judas respectively.
The Chrism mass, on Tuesday with the Bishop of Fulham and on Thursday at St Paul’s with the acting Bishop of London, is a beautiful service where the bishop blesses the holy oils for the year and the clergy of the diocese renew their ordination vows.
On Maundy Thursday we enter into the beauty of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and instituted the Eucharist. After the service is finished the blessed sacrament is taken to the altar of repose, made to resemble the garden of Gethsemane. The church is stripped of all decoration and we watch with Jesus in the garden until midnight.
On Good Friday we remember the moment when Jesus died for us all by listening to the story of the passion, venerating the cross and receiving communion reserved on the altar of repose.
The Easter Vigil on Saturday evening is the most important service of the Christian year. It is a journey from darkness into light, gathering around the Easter fire where the paschal candle is lit and blessed, journeying into the dark church to hear the story of our redemption through the Old Testament until the moment of joy when the lights come on, Jesus is risen and we celebrate the first mass of Easter, followed by a party.
Palm Sunday
10.00am Palm Sunday Mass
Holy Monday
7.30pm Mass at Holy Innocents Church
Holy Tuesday
7.30pm Mass, at Holy Trinity Church
Holy Wednesday
7.30pm Mass at Holy Innocents
Maundy Thursday
Mass, at Holy Trinity Church – TBC
Good Friday
10.00am Stations of the Cross at Holy Innocents Church
12.00pm Liturgy of the Day at Holy Innocents Church
8.30pm Easter Vigil at Holy Innocents Church
Easter Sunday
10.00am Easter Mass at Holy Innocents Church, our preacher is Bishop Peter Wheatley.