Holy Week 2026

PALM SUNDAY
Next Sunday, Palm Sunday, we commence our Holy week journey. Palms will be blessed and distributed at each Mass.
▪ If you are attending the 9.45am Mass, don’t forget that it will commence at 9.30am on Church Green, with the blessing of palms, with parishioner’s, from St Nicholas’s, followed by the processions to our respective churches.

HOLY WEEK & EASTER LEAFLET
Details of everything that is happening in Holy Week, and Easter Week, will be found in the Holy Week and Easter leaflet. Don’t forget to collect one as you leave Mass today.

EASTER PREPARATION Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, going to Confession, needs to be a regular part of our lives, and particularly as Easter approaches. On Monday 30TH March, at 7.30pm, the Parish Penitential Service takes place. Please note the date and time, and do try to take up this important opportunity.

EASTER OFFERING
The offering on Easter Sunday, is one of just two collections in the year that contributes to the stipend that priests in parishes receive, and assists in their personal upkeep. Recent guidance, from the Diocese, indicates that the contributions received on Easter Sunday, by standing order, cannot be included in the Easter offering. If you normally support the parish in this way, but wish to contribute to this collection, you can do so via the ‘Easter Offering’ envelopes, or the card machine. Contributions given by Easter envelopes, as well as the ‘loose’ collection, are included in the Easter Offering.

GOOD FRIDAY CHILDREN’S STATIONS OF THE CROSS 2026
The children’s Stations of the Cross will be at 11.30am on Good Friday 3rd April, and will last about 45 minutes. We are looking for children to take part in the form of a tableau for each station. The children have to be from years 3 to 6, to take part. We need about 12 actors (no speaking parts), who will have to be in church from 9:30am on Good Friday. We will do the rehearsal, have a small break, and then perform our Stations of the Cross at 11.30am. This allows any other family members to join in The Walk of Witness in the town, and then join us in church. If your child wants to be part of the Stations of the Cross please email Ginny (ginny.sjg@gmail.com) or phone 01582 620322 by Monday 30th March. In the event of too many volunteers we will take the first names on the list.

WALK OF WITNESS
Every year we join with members of other churches, on Good Friday, to publicly remember Christ’s journey to Calvary, and to witness to him. Members of our parish act as marshals to simply guide the procession and ensure safe road crossing at various points. It would be good to recruit two or three new members to the team. We meet at 10am and finish just over an hour later. Full instructions are available so if you can help in this way, please contact the Parish Office.