 The Announcement of the Date of Easter and of other principal feasts on Epiphany dates back to a time when calendars were not readily available to people. Since the date of Easter changes every year in accordance with the lunar calendar and many celebrations of the liturgical year also depend on this date, it was necessary to make known its date of in advance.
Although we now have calendars and personal diaries, many of which include religious feasts and lunar phases, this Epiphany proclamation still has value. It is a reminder of the centrality of Easter, of the celebration of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord, for believers. On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the proclamation takes place after the Post-Communion prayer. Where possible, it should be sung by a deacon, or cantor. In their absence, the celebrant may sing or proclaim it according to this formula: The Proclamation of Easter and the Moveable Feasts for the Year 2025 Know, dear brothers and sisters, that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Saviour. On the fifth day of March will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season. On the twentieth day of April you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the twenty-ninth day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the eighth day of June, the feast of Pentecost. On the twenty-second day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. On the thirtieth day of November, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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This year has brought many joys and blessings from God. Our congregation has been growing both in numbers and in commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. The year opened with the celebration of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, on the last Day of Christmas Octave, 1 January, and a few days later with our first Epiphany Carol Service at which we blessed the incense, charcoal, and candles used in divine worship and the chalk used for home blessings. Both services were encouragingly well attended. Our preparation for the holy seasons of Lent and Easter started with the burning of palm crosses to make the ash used on Ash Wednesday. During Lent we reintroduced a regular service of Stations of the Cross, we were visited by Bishop Richard of Bedford, and we had the honour of hosting the Marie Curie's Day of Reflection in partnership with Houghton Regis Town Council. All Saints' out-of-date sound system was finally replaced thanks to parish fundraising and the contributions of Central Bedfordshire and Town councillors. The most important week of the Christian calendar, Holy Week, opened with the celebration of Palm Sunday. Over the course of the week we welcomed hundreds of people coming to celebrate the Passion, Death, and glorious Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Fr Diego travelled to Walsingham for the Chrism Mass celebrated by Bishop Norman of Richborough, and Thomas Whitehead Academy attended Mass at All Saints' on Maundy Thursday. In April we celebrated High Mass for St George's Day for the fist time. Father Yenda from St Mary' Sundon deaconed the Mass and provided us with wonderful red vestments for the liturgy. At the end of Mass the people received a blessing with the relic of the Martyr. A group of pilgrims from All Saints' travelled to Walsingham for the National Pilgrimage in May and we held a special celebration of Corpus Christi, again with the invaluable help of Fr Yenda. The Mayor's Civic Service also took place in April at the Parish Church and it was really well attended and beautiful occasion, which this year also included a civic procession from All Saints' View to the church via the Memorial Path. Regular worship with Thomas Whitehead academy featured the celebration of Mass twice a term, weekly gatherings at All Saints', and the Blessing of a new Reflection Garden in July. Parish volunteers welcomed pupils from several schools who visited All Saints' to complement their local history and RE curricula. We have had also the great pleasure of working with Christian brothers and sisters from other denominations in the schools of our town. In October we welcomed Bishop Richard of Bedford to Houghton Regis for the second time this year! Bishop Richard administered the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation , commissioned our two Lay Leaders of Worship, and commissioned our Eucharistic Assistants - the youngest of whom is 14 years old! It was a particular pleasure to see so many individuals saying "Yes" to God and embracing vocations to the Christian life and to lay ministries. Remembrance Sunday was marked by the Solemn Requiem Mass at the Parish Church and the Act of Remembrance on The Green. The preacher at the Requiem was the Revd Tim Haines, the Baptist Minister for Bidwell West. The whole occasion was marvellously supported by the uniformed organisations of our Town. A new purple altar frontal and a purple lectern fall, made using upcycled fabric, were presented to All Saints' just in time for Advent. Advent and the first week of Christmas saw a record number of schools children, worshippers, and visitors through our doors for the various carols services, events, and celebrations we hosted. We welcomed the pupils from All Saints' Academy, and Revd Tim Davis, their Chaplain, for their Christmas services for the first time. We also introduced Joyful Voices a new, ecumenical carol service for the LGBTQ+ community of Bedfordshire and their friends. The Mayor's Carol Service, the Christmas Fayre, Carols by Candlelight, and Midnight Mass were very well attended indeed. 2024 has been a challenging year on many fronts: the loss of beloved members of our church family, vandalism in the churchyard, urgent repairs needed to the roof, and severe constraints on our parish finances (which continue to run a deficit of £30k year-on-year). But this year has also been a great year for growth and commitment to the faith, and for the renewal of our buildings, with new projects for the future beginning to take shape. For all these things, for all the graces, mercies, and blessings we have received from the Lord, let us always be thankful and sing his praises! For the tireless work of our our parish volunteers, let us be grateful and cherish their invaluable efforts!
To make arrangements for Baptisms, Weddings, Blessings of Marriages or Civil Partnerships, and reading of Banns, please visit the Parish Office for Vestry Hour (at St Thomas’ Church, Lowry Drive).
To make an appointment with the Parish Priest, or to book a time for Confession, please contact Father Diego directly.  Every Sunday we celebrate the Day of Resurrection and gather to participate at the Eucharist. We are also called to worship together on other days dotted through the year, as we rehearse the story of our salvation in Jesus Christ and consecrate each year to him. These special days are a collection of “feasts” and “solemnities” (or Festivals, or Red Letter Days in former times) marking key moments in the life of Our Lord, Our Lady, and important saints. Solemnities are days of greatest importance, and a few of these are also “Days of Obligation” (marked with *) when attendance to church is a moral requirement similar to Sundays. On solemnities there will be two celebrations of Mass (one in the morning, one in the evening) to give the opportunity to come to church to greatest possible number of people. The list below in not complete and it does not include Sundays but it contains the most important feasts which we will celebrate in the parish on weekdays. Please, make a note of these in your calendar and make every effort to attend church on these days. Feasts and Solemnities
falling on weekdays (March-June 2023) Friday 17 March - Saint Patrick (Feast) 10:00am Sung Mass (All Saints’) Monday 20 March - Saint Joseph (Solemnity) 10:00am Sung Mass (All Saints’) 6:30pm Silent Prayer (St Thomas’) 7:30pm Mass (St Thomas’) Sat 25 March - Annunciation of the Lord (Solemnity) 12:30pm Sung Mass (All Saints’) The Easter Triduum (The three days before Easter Day) Thursday 6 April - Maundy Thursday * 8:00pm Sung Mass (All Saints’) Friday 7 April - Good Friday * 11:00am Family Service (All Saints’) 3:00pm Good Friday Liturgy (All Saints’) Saturday 8 April - Holy Saturday 8:00pm Easter Vigil (All Saints’) Wednesday 3 May - Ss Philip and James (Feast) 10:00am Sung Mass (St Thomas’) Thursday 4 May - The English Martyrs (Feast) 10:00am Sung Mass (All Saints’) Thu 18 May - Ascension of the Lord (Solemnity) * 10:00am Mass (All Saints’) 6:30pm Silent Prayer (All Saints’) 7:30pm Sung Mass (All Saints’) Wednesday 31 May - Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary (Feast) 10:00am Sung Mass (St Thomas’) Saturday 10 June - Corpus Christi (Solemnity) * 2:00pm Sung Mass and Procession (All Saints’) Friday 16 June - Sacred Heart of Jesus (Solemnity) 10:00am Mass (All Saints’) 6:30pm Silent Prayer (All Saints’) 7:30pm Sung Mass (All Saints’) Tuesday 20 June - Saint Alban (Solemnity) 10:00am Mass (All Saints’) 6:30pm Silent Prayer (All Saints’) 7:30pm Sung Mass (All Saints’) Sat 24 June - Nativity St John the Baptist (Solemnity) 12:30noon Sung Mass (All Saints’) Thu 29 June - Ss Peter and Paul (Solemnity) * 10:00am Mass (All Saints’) 6:30pm Silent Prayer (All Saints’) 7:30pm Sung Mass (All Saints’) Sunday 19 February, the 7th in Ordinary Time, marked the last Sunday before Lent. After the Parish Mass and refreshments, a few of us gathered outside the Parish Church to burn last year's Palm Crosses to make ash for Ash Wednesday. In previous years the crosses were burnt on Shrove Tuesday without much ceremony by the Parish Priest and the Sacristan. However, this year we opted for a public rite, a shared moment of prayer, with parishioners, to highlight the link between the palm crosses and Ash Wednesday, between the Passion of the Lord Jesus and our Lenten journey that is approaching. The ceremony we followed is a very simple rite adapted from material produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church (available online). Father Richard Brown, Parish Priest of Holy Cross Marsh Farm, joined us for Mass. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
The year opened with a celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, with our friends at Holy Cross Church on 1 January; we welcomed Katherine, a Reader-in-training, from Leighton Buzzard on placement with us for a month; an image of Our Lady was installed at St Thomas' Church (Our Lady of Lowry Drive?); and the weekly Thomas Whitehead Academy gathering at All Saints' resumed on Tuesdays with Stef and Lindsay joining Fr Diego in leading worship. As Accession Day approached, Fr Diego and parish volunteers went hunting for "Treebilees" (Jubilee Trees) to be planted in the churchyard. On Accession Day we marked the beginning of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee by planting six treebilees in the churchyard. See more about that occasion here. Bell-ringers from Oxford University visited All Saints' on their ringing tour; we planted bare-root roses on the churchyard access paths; care homes visiting resumed after months of severe restrictions. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, we collected money, food, clothing, medications, and first aid goods for the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (Luton Branch). The generosity of local people has been amazing! Holy Week and Easter celebrations took place in April. We welcomed the Rev Tim Hines as our preacher on Palm Sunday. See more about Palm Sunday here; and about Good Friday here. The Platinum Jubilee weekend brought joy and community spirit across the town with so many lovely events organised to mark the historic milestone. See more about our celebrations here. June also brought around the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the day when we give special thanks for the gift of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ we receive at Mass. It was a great joy to mark the occasion with Sung Mass, Procession, Benediction, and refreshments. See more about Corpus Christi here. Over the summer we welcomed many a number of weddings at All Saints', we took part in town events, and Fr Diego celebrated the 10th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. September was marked by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Accession of King Charles III. A book of condolences was opened at the Parish Church and we hosted a number of services to pray for the repose of the soul of our late Queen and for the reign of the new King. See more about the Solemn Requiem here and about the Commemoration Service here. Autumn saw maintenance works carried out at the Parish Church and the initial works to set up a tryptic above the high altar in memory of Father Colin Gay, former Honorary Assistant Priest of Houghton Regis. Christmas preparations got underway with volunteers organising a wonderful Christmas Fayre and Advent services. Snow day in Houghton Regis, see here. Carols by Candlelight, see here. 2022 has been a whirlwind of a year that brought us many blessings, but also challenges and our town community faced great sorrows.
For all the graces, blessings, joy, and comfort we have received from God over the past twelve months, let us thank and praise the Lord! On Sunday 18 December, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we held our traditional service of Carols by Candlelight. The service featured the retelling of the Christmas story, prayers, joyful carolling, and choir anthems. The PCC of Houghton Regis would like to thank the volunteers who decorated the church for this special occasion and for the approaching Christmas celebrations. Photos: Dr Matthew Hurley Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
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