This quarter began with Holy Week and we would like to thank Fr Andrew Southwell for coming to celebrate the Liturgy during one of the busier weeks of the year. On Palm Sunday we had our usual Sung Mass and procession, with the choir singing the wonderful setting by Victoria of the Passion, and the Issac setting of the Communion. This year we also had Sung Masses on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week. Our choir once again provided some wonderful polyphony and chant for the Mass and procession of Maundy Thursday, and on Good Friday we once again had Victoria’s setting of the Passion. Our Easter began with our Vigil Mass, with the lighting of the new fire, Exsultet, all the Prophecies, blessing of the Font, with the choir singing the beautiful setting of the Sicut Cervus by Palestrina. It was especially good to see so many of our boys serving, and the church so full of young families for these long services over Holy Week. With the Vigil over our excellent serving team and choir could not yet have a well-deserved break, with Easter Sunday Mass and Vespers and another Sung Mass on Easter Monday.
Once again, we celebrated Vespers on all the Sundays of Easter, with goodly numbers of singers and servers returning to St Bede’s after their Sunday lunch. Our choir and servers gave up their Bank Holiday to sing Mass on 6 May, and 27, the Feast of St Bede. A few days later we had another Sung Mass for the Feast of the Ascension. Serves and choir once again gave up their Saturday morning to celebrate the Vigil of Pentecost, Sung Masses followed for the Feasts of Corpus Christi, the Sacred Heart, and SS Peter and Paul. We have continued singing Mass on Saturdays as well as Sunday. The Guild of St Clare, with Servers and children choir practice, has continued on the 3rd Saturday of the Month. We have also been running Catechism classes fortnightly on Sundays after Mass for the large numbers of children, over 50 at the last count. Our special Sundays with polyphonic Mass followed by shared lunch, talk for adults, activities for children ending with Benediction continue monthly. We have had some difficulty finding priests to celebrate our week day Masses, so do check the parish website for last minute changes, and if you know of any priests available to celebrate Masses at St Bede’s do get in touch.