 The churches of All Saints and St Thomas, the worship we offer in these places, and our ministry in Houghton Regis are signs of God’s presence – they witness of his enduring love in our town and the communities we serve.
Following directives from HM Government and national Church authorities about Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are able to reopen our church buildings for worship from Saturday 4 July. However, we will still offer a reduced schedule for worship; public celebration of Mass will be offered three times a week until further notice. Mass (Public Celebration) Mass will be celebrated publicly on
Holy Communion will be distributed in one kind only, under the form of Bread. The Precious Blood (the chalice) will not be distributed among the faithful. There will not be singing at these celebrations. Mass (online), Worship, and Teaching During lockdown we have taken Mass, other forms of worship, and Christian teaching online - on Facebook Live and YouTube. Mass will continue to be live streamed from St Thomas' Church at the following times:
Opening of church buildings According to Government advice churches across England can reopen for private prayer from 15 June.
Baptisms Baptisms can take place in church. The same hygiene and social distancing regulations used for Mass (above) still apply, and we have to limit the numbers of people attending to 30. Weddings Weddings can take place in church. The same hygiene and social distancing regulations used for Mass (above) still apply. From 4 July the government strongly advises that numbers are restricted to 30 for public health reasons. This maximum number includes all those at the ceremony, including the couple, witnesses, officiant and guests. It also includes any workers who are not employed by the church such as photographers. It does not include staff or volunteers employed by the church such as vergers or churchwardens. Theservice should be kept concise while still consistent with the nature of theoccasion, focusing on those parts of the marriage that are required in order to be legally binding under the law of England and Wales. Funerals
Worship in Care Homes and Hospital Visits
Home Visits by the Parish Priest
Ministry to the dying
As time progresses, these directives may be altered in accordance with advice from the Diocese of St Albans, HM Government, and Church of England guidelines. Thank you for your co-operation. Updated 2 July 2020 Created 18 March 2020
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 With the church building closed and social distancing in place we have decided to offer a weekly Coffee Morning delivery service beginning on 6 June 2020.
There will be a Standard Pack available to order consisting of : 2 scones, 2 cakes and 2 cookies for £4. (Gluten/milk free options also available) Simply order your pack either by phone or by email before 11am on Friday for delivery on Saturday between 10.00am and 12.00 noon. Please have the correct payment (plus any donation) ready in an envelope, we will place your Pack on your doorstep, knock on your door and step back to a safe distance. We’re happy to chat for a few minutes, then if you could take your pack and leave your envelope for us to pick once you have closed the door. This service is only available for residents of LU5 area. Call Suzy on 07946 627298 or text Rich on 07528 129115 or email: suzanne.denver@gmail.com A message from Fr Diego, Parish Priest of Houghton Regis, following the suspension of public worship in the Church of England.
2019 has been a busy year at All Saints’ with many things for which to give thanks to the Lord. A detailed report of the year will be given to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and the congregation in due course, but for the moment – as we begin a new year in the Lord’s name – let us look back at the past year with thankful hearts. God is good. Even among the struggles and setbacks we had to face as a community, He has carried us through! Our parish continues to grow, the outside of the All Saints' has been beautifully restored, the back of church has become a flexible space where we can better provide hospitality, a regular study group now meets to learn about the Faith, and Mass is celebrated five days a week (room for improvement there…). Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. (Pslam 127:1) Almighty God, Father and Creator of all and source of all goodness and love, look kindly upon us and receive our heartfelt gratitude for our parish. Thank you for all the mercies, graces, and blessings you have bestowed upon us in the past year: perseverance in faith, love for community, commitment to your Church, our volunteers, times of joy and spiritual growth, financial gifs, and religious heritage. Father, in your infinite generosity, grant us increased graces and blessing throughout this new year, that under your tender care and protection we may bring the Love of Jesus Christ to this town. This we ask in the name of Jesus Our Lord. Amen. Our Lady of Walsingham, Pray for us! Saint Thomas Apostle, Pray from us! All Saints of God, Pray for us! Our service of Carols by Candlelight to place on the Fourth Sunday of Advent – the last Sunday before Christmas. The first known Christmas service of lessons and carols took place at Truro Cathedral on Christmas Eve 1878. Since then countless churches world-wide have adapted that first liturgy for their use - including King’s College Chapel, whose yearly broadcast of Lessons and Carols begun in 1928. Following this time-honoured pattern of worship, our service alternated reading and singing. As we listened to the readings, and sung joyful carols of prayer and praise, we travelled in spirit to the stable of Bethlehem, to see with the eyes of faith heaven united with earth, and our humanity united to the divine nature in the Child of Mary, Jesus the Son of God. Another carol service – Carols around the Crib – took place earlier in December. At that service the congregation, helped by children and young people, set up the Crib in anticipation of Christmas. We held our Christmas Fayre on Saturday 7 December – yes, the same date at the Mayor’s Carol Service. It was a fun and lovely day filled with festive cheer, homemade food, and caroling sung by our choir. Visit our What’s On page to find out more about our regular social events. Images from the Remembrance Sunday celebrations in Houghton Regis. The Solemn Requiem Mass was followed by a procession to the Memorial Stone on the Green for the Act of Remembrance. The service to place in the presence of the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire and the Town Mayor. The Requiem Mass and the Act of Remembrance were attended also by many young people representing uniformed organizations of Houghton Regis and Dunstable. Images of the Pontifical Mass on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Holy Cross Day) with the celebration of Confirmations. The service took place on Sunday 15 September at conclusion of the five-day mission led by Bishop Richard Atkinson, Bishop of Bedford, in Houghton Regis. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, usually celebrated on 14 September, recalls three historical events: the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine; the dedication of churches built by Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; and the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by the emperor Heraclius II. However, in a deeper sense, the feast also celebrates the Holy Cross on which Our Lord Jesus Christ died as the instrument of our salvation. This instrument of torture, designed to degrade the worst of criminals, became the life-giving tree that reversed Adam's Original Sin. Inscribed upon the Cross we see in shining letters, 'God is love'; He bears our sins upon the tree; He brings us mercy from above. (Thomas Kelly, 1769 - 1855) The Sacrament of Confirmation is a response to God’s love for us, and a special way of receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of the Bishop’s hands in preparation for a life of Christian faithfulness and service. Confirmation is also a step of personal faith: the candidates confirm that they take on for themselves the promises made at Baptism, confirming their faith and their membership of the body of Christ, the Church. We are pleased to report that Central Bedfordshire Council has granted planning permissions to All Saints’ for the construction of the Memorial Path in the churchyard linking Bedford Square gate to the south door of the church. We envisage the new path to become a dignified place of remembrance in the beautiful surroundings of All Saints’ churchyard. To this aim the path will be flanked by memorial plaques (or slabs) which can be sponsored and personalized with the names of loved ones, as well as their years of birth and death. It has been a long time coming, as collection of sponsorship money began in three years ago. The delay has been twofold. First, our planning application had been returned last year because the planning officers wanted more information and more accurate drawing about the project. This has now been approved thanks to the work of our architects – Michael Dales Partnership. Secondly, urgent works of restoration to the fabric of All Saints’ have had to take priority in order to make the building weatherproof once again. These works are currently on the way. We are now seeking again approval from the ecclesiastical authorities, and putting the project out for tender for a second time. If you wish to contribute to this project you can sponsor a memorial plaque today – details on the Memorial Path page.  |
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