Updated 3 April

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.
 
However, following directives from the Archbishop of Canterbury and church authorities, we have suspended all Public Worship to counter the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among worshippers and visitors. The public celebration of Mass has been suspended. And there will be no public worship or pastoral offices (Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals) until further notice. And both our churches will remain shut.
 
Regrettably, the Archbishops have imposed a ban from entering the churches for prayer even on our clergy. Fr Diego will continue to offer a daily Mass for the parish at the Clergy House. Details will be on our Facebook page.

Funerals

• Funerals in church are suspended until further notice.
  
• Funerals can take place at Crematoria or at the graveside. Funeral directors will be able to advise you about which option to go for. 
  
• Only immeditate family members can participate to the funeral service.
  

 
Worship in Care Homes and Hospital Visits

• Worship in care homes is suspended as this would usually see a group of up to 10 church volunteers entering places of care and increasing the risk of spreading the virus.
• Hospital visits are suspended. Please, contact the Hospital Chaplaincy Team or hospital staff to arrange Pastoral Care on-site.

 
Home Visits by the Parish Priest (or a designated minister)

• Individual home visits by the Parish Priest will continue for those who wold like to receive Holy Communion in their homes. However, if are quarantining, self-isolating, or in a care home this will not be possible. Please contact the Parish Office if you wish to request or discuss a visit.
  

 
Ministry to the dying

• Visits to those who are dying will continue. Please, contact the Parish Office without delay if you wish to request or discuss a visit.

 
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.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi (literally meaning “The Body of Christ”) was celebrated in Houghton Regis on Saturday 22 June. Our Parish and the Parish of the Holy Cross, Marsh Farm, came together to mark this great celebration.

This feast calls the whole Church to give special thanks to God for the inestimable gift of the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Jesus' Body and Blood. For this reason the Blessed Sacrament is traditionally taken in procession at the end of the main Mass. One of the hymns sung at Corpus Christi describe the Blessed Sacrament in this way,
O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
Each loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine own Self in form of Bread.

The Celebrant and Preacher was Father Norman Banks, Bishop of Richborough, and a number of other priests attended the celebrations in choir; including Father Richard Brown SSC, parish priest of Marsh Farm.
The Pontifical Mass was followed by a procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the churchyard and Bedford Road, and by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. BBQ and refreshments were also available after Mass. Photos below by Myles Pluss.

The Easter Vigil, which is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities, marks the end of the emptiness of Holy Saturday, and leads into the celebration of Christ’s victory over Death and Hell. The word ‘Alleluia’ (meaning “God be praised”) which has been silent throughout Lent, returns.
Alleluia! sing to Jesus!
His the sceptre, his the throne.
Alleluia! His the triumph,
his the victory alone! (William Chatterton Dix)
 
By most ancient tradition, this is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12:42), in which, following the Gospel admonition (Lk 12:35-37), the faithful, carrying lighted candles in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when he returns, so that at his coming he may find them awake and have them sit at his table.
 
The Vigil is arranged in such a way that after the Lucernarium (or lighting of the Paschal Candle) and the Exultet (or Easter Proclamation), we will meditate on the wonders the Lord God has done for his people from the beginning., focusing on the theme of “Renewal”. After this, we will be invited to renew our Baptismal commitments to the life the Christian life before being called to celebrate the Eucharist, the living memorial of his Death and Resurrection.

Main Service - Celebration of the Passion
Today’s liturgy centres on Jesus’ Passion (his sufferings) and death on the Cross for our salvation. In order for us to   enter more deeply into this great mystery, the “Celebration” is marked by deep silence. Please use these quiet moments to recollect yourself in the presence of Our Crucified Lord, accompanying him in spirit through the pain he endured - like the Mary and John did at Calvary.
Here might I stay and sing, no story so divine:
never was love, dear King, never was grief like thine.
This is my friend, in whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend! (Samuel Crossman, 1664)
 
On this and the following day, by a most ancient tradition, the Church does not celebrate the Sacraments at all, except for Confession and the Anointing of the Sick. Holy Communion is distributed from the Sacrament reserved last night at the Altar of Repose. The church remains stripped of all decoration. It continues bare and empty through the following day, which is a day without a liturgy: there can be no adequate way of recalling the being dead of the Son of God, other than silence and desolation. But within the silence there grows a sense of peace and completion, and then rising excitement as the Easter Vigil draws near.

Maundy Thursday marks the end of Lent and the beginning of the sacred "Triduum” of Holy Week. These three days are the holiest days of the Christian year. The name "Maundy" comes from the Latin mandatum, ‘commandment’, because of the use of John 13.34 as the Entrance Antiphon;
‘I give you a new commandment; that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’

At this Mass, the Priest washes the feet of twelve members of the congregation to symbolise Christ’s washing of his twelve Apostles. 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.
O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail! (St Alphonsus)
 
At the conclusion of the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is transported to the Altar of Repose and we are invited to continue adoring the Lord Jesus present there until midnight, just as the disciples were invited to watch with the Lord during his agony in the garden of Gethsemane.

After tonight, no Mass will be celebrated again in the entire Church until the Easter Vigil celebrates and proclaims the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter. On this day Christians everywhere 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 palms on the path in front of Him with great  jubilance. They did this just days before His crucifixion.
Sometimes they strew his way,
and his strong praises sing,
resounding all the day
hosannas to their King.
Then "Crucify!" is all their breath,
and for his death they thirst and cry.
 
Each year, right before the Palm Sunday Mass, palm crosses are blessed and distributed and we carry them in procession into the church. Our procession with palms is a sign of our joy and gratitude to Jesus Christ, Our King. At this service we enter also in the mystery of the Lord’s Passion (sufferings) as we read together the account of His crucifixion from Luke’s gospel.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi (literally meaning “The Body of Christ”) was celebrated in Houghton Regis on Sunday 3 June.
This feast calls the whole Church to give special thanks to God for the inestimable gift of the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Jesus' Body and Blood. For this reason the Blessed Sacrament is traditionally taken in procession at the end of the main Mass. One of the hymns sung at Corpus Christi describe the Blessed Sacrament in this way,
O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
Each loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine own Self in form of Bread.

The 10:00 Parish Mass was followed by a procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the churchyard and Benediction.
The Preacher on this occasion was Father Michael Bowie SMMS, from All Saints' Margaret Street, London, and a number of other priests attended the celebrations in choir; the Venerable Paul Hughes (Archdeacon of Bedford), Canon Liz Hughes (Chaplain of Luton Airport), and Mother Janet Yabsley of All Saints'.