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On Sunday 14 April, the Third Sunday of Easter, we had the great pleasure of hosting the annual Civic Service for Houghton Regis. The Service was held in the presence of the Town Mayor, Councillor Jimmy Carroll and attended by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire and the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, along with the Mayors of Luton, Dunstable, Biggleswade, Sandy, Shefford, Stotfold, Kempston, Ampthill, Harpenden, and Leighton-Linslade. Many members of local uniformed organisations were present and formed a guard of honour for the dignitaries and the congregation. At the service the Town Mayor spoke passionately about the Neighbourhood Town Plan and about the history of Houghton Regis. He also wrote a history of the town which was included in the order of service. Father Diego, the Priest-in-charge of Houghton Regis, preached on the first reading, Philippians 4:4-9, and the choir of All Saints’ sung the anthem “Rejoice in the Lord alway” by Henry Purcell. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
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Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! On Easter Day we gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, to celebrate the Eucharist, and to welcome new members of the Church coming forward for Baptism. It was a special joy and blessing to mark the beginning of the Easter season in this way. From the order of service: Today we rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the grave. This is the central truth of our faith: death has no more power over Jesus and in his resurrection we contemplate our future; eternal life in him. As St Paul’s wrote to early Christians, “your life is hidden with Christ in God, and when Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory” (Col 3:3-4) Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
The Easter Vigil took place on Holy Saturday (30 March). This is the great proclamation of the the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and of his victory over death. It's a joyous celebration of new life in the Lord. This service, following ancient traditions, begins with the blessing of a new fire and the Paschal Candle (the symbol of the risen Christ) is lit from this. The Vigil features elements of light and darkness, fire and water, to lead us to meditate on the new life we receive through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The central feature of the celebration is the Baptismal liturgy, where water is solemnly blessed and people are invited to renew their baptismal commitments to follow Christ. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis Good Friday, the day in which the Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary, is a day of great solemnity and deep reflection, as we gather around the Cross of Jesus. We traditionally hold two services on this day; a children celebration accompanied by crafts and refreshments in the morning, and a the Good Friday Liturgy in the afternoon. The afternoon liturgy is marked by moments of silence to facilitate our recollection before the crucified Lord, and it includes the reading of the Passion according to Saint John, the veneration of a relic of the True Cross, and the distribution of Holy Communion from the reserved Blessed Sacrament. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
The Solemn Mass of the Lord's Supper, the first part of the Easter Triduum, was celebrated at All Saints' on 28 March at 8:00pm and it was followed by a vigil (or watch) at the Altar of Repose. Maundy Thursday (marks the end of Lent and the beginning of the sacred "Easter Triduum”. These three days are the holiest days of the Christian year. The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning ‘commandment’, used in the entrance antiphon I give you a new commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. (John 13.34) At this Mass, the holy oils, blessed by the bishop for the sacramental life of the parish, are received by the congregation, and the Priest washes the feet of few members of the congregation to symbolise Christ’s washing of his twelve Apostles. And so, this Mass stresses the importance Jesus puts on humility and service within the Church. Also emphasised are the fundamental importance of the Eucharist and the sacrifice of Christ’s Body, which we now find present in the Blessed Sacrament. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
Yesterday, Sunday 24 March, we celebrated Palm Sunday. The Parish Mass began in Bedford Square with the blessing of palm crosses and olive branches as we recalled the entrance of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem. After this we processed to All Saints' signing praises to the Lord. Later in the afternoon, at 4:00pm, we concluded Palm Sunday with a service of Stations of the Cross and Benediction. About the Celebration: Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter. On this day we remember the glorious entry into Jerusalem of Jesus riding on a donkey, while a great multitude of people welcomed Him and waved Him on. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John tell us how the crowds took leafy branches from the trees that lined the road (traditionally identified as palm and olive trees) and waved them in the air shouting “Hosanna”, and threw their clothes and palm branches on the path in front of Him with great jubilance. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
On Sunday 17 March, Passion Sunday, Bishop Richard of Bedford visited All Saints’ to celebrate the Parish Mass and to preach. It was a great honour and pleasure to welcome our bishop once again to Houghton Regis. The service included Ecce Sacerdos by Lorenzo Perosi (1852-1956), sung at the Solemn Reception of the Bishop, and Lord, I trust Thee by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) as the post-Communion anthem. Father Diego would like to thank all the volunteers who worked very hard to make this service such a lovely and powerful occasion. The last two weeks of Lent (sometimes called Passiontide) are marked by darker tones than the rest of the season, as we approach Good Friday. During Passiontide sacred images are veiled so as to hide some of the glory and splendour of the church building and of the liturgy, and to focus our attention on the sorrowful Passion and Death of Our Lord.
On Sunday 3 March 2024 we celebrated the Day of Reflection during the Parish Mass. Since 2021, Marie Curie has organised a Day of Reflection, which has seen communities across the UK come together to reflect on the COVID19 pandemic and remember those who lost their lives to the disease. The Day was also about showing support for two important groups of people: those who are still affected by the losses they experienced during that time, as well as for the workers, carers, and volunteers who played a vital roles during the critical times of the pandemic. We were very honoured that Dr Joan Bailey, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Councillor Jimmy Carroll, Town Mayor of Houghton Regis, members of the Town Council, and the Town Clerk attended the service. We are very grateful to Houghton Regis Town Council for organising this event with us, and for providing the orders of service and refreshments afterwards.
Yesterday, on the Last Sunday before Lent (the Sixth in Ordinary Time) we ended the Parish Mass with the burning of last year’s Palm Crosses to make the ash used on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent. This simple rite is adapted from liturgical material produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church and available online. The reading from Isaiah 58 invites us to reflect on the spiritual meaning of fasting and repentance as we approach the holy season of Lent.
Last week we celebrated Candlemas with Thomas Whitehead Academy at Mass with KS2. As always, the pupils led the reading of the gospel and the intercessions (beautifully and thoughtfully composed by them). At the end of the Mass, we distributed blessed candles to everyone: a reminder of the Lord Jesus as our light and the light of the nations.
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