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Parish events tell the story of Holy Week and Easter
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Parish events tell the story of Holy Week and Easter
OUR churches have been telling the story of Jesus’s final week on Earth in the run-up to Easter.
They've been holding Holy Week reflections, Messy Church sessions, Good Friday walks of witness and Easter Sunday celebrations. It’s a special time of year, as we reflect on Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, events that are at the centre of our faith.
Several churches began their celebration of Holy Week with a Palm Sunday procession, mirroring Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the start of his final week on Earth.
Worshippers from the Haven Churches in the Isle of Wight (Brading, Yaverland, Seaview and St Helens) followed a donkey from Brading Methodist Church to St Mary’s Church, Brading, ahead of their Palm Sunday service.
Churchgoers within the parish of St Mary’s, Portsea, waved palm branches and sang as they processed between St Faith’s Church in Landport and St Mary’s in Fratton Road, on Palm Sunday morning. And those at Portsmouth Cathedral also followed a donkey from Grand Parade into the cathedral for their Palm Sunday service.
Then on Maundy Thursday, clergy, lay ministers and diocesan staff gathered at our cathedral for the annual Chrism Eucharist, at which they renew their commitment to their calling and ministry. It's also the occasion when oils of baptism, healing and Chrism are blessed for use within parishes over the next 12 months.
Several churches held family events with activities for children during Holy Week. More than 50 families came to St Jude’s Church, Southsea, for Easter Family Fun, which included activities such as an Easter trail, decorating eggs, making a tomb-shaped biscuit, and making a Lego cross.
St John’s Church, Locks Heath, held an all-age Good Friday service, as well as baptisms on Easter Sunday. St James Church, Emsworth, were due to hold an ecumenical Easter extravaganza for families in their garden from 10am to 12noon on Saturday April 4th. And St Paul’s Church, Sarisbury Green, held a service for toddlers on the morning of Good Friday.
Barn Church, which is based at the Soberton guide hut, also hosted a Good Friday family fun morning and barbecue, including face painting, treasure hunts, games, crafts, and a bouncy castle. It was organised especially for those who don’t tend to attend church.
Several walks of witness also took place on Good Friday, with worshippers processing behind a cross to denote their faith in Jesus in public. The churches in Southsea held such a walk of witness, starting on Southsea seafront. Worshippers of all denominations processed behind a wooden cross before a service in the shopping precinct, with music provided by the Salvation Army band. And Christians in Bembridge joined forces for a walk of witness that began outside St Michael's RC Church.
The Good Friday walk of witness for Botley, Curdridge and Dudley started at All Saints Church Botley and ended at Holy Cross Church, Durley. And churches of all denominations took part in a walk of witness in Shanklin. It started at St Blasius Church, calling in on the URC, Methodist, and Roman Catholic churches before ending at St Paul's Church.
Among the Easter celebrations were those from a Latvian community that meets at St Luke’s Church, Southsea. They gathered in the Host Café for traditional activities that included decorating eggs with boiled onion skins, and sharing different types of round food. The symbolism of circular food reflects new life.
Families with Latvian roots gather every two weeks in the church to share aspects of their traditional culture. It’s one of the few such gatherings for Latvian families this side of London.
Mum Louise Kemp, who comes from Southampton with her daughter, said: “Often the children have a Latvian school, and we sing traditional songs from our culture. I enjoy being together with people from my community and being reminded of our roots. It’s nice to have friends who also speak your language.”
The community mosaic group based at St Mary’s Church, Brighstone, has been running a project to create mosaic scenes of the Easter story. The plywood bases, scene stands and woodwork were made by Colin Thomas from Men in Sheds and Dave Crewe.
The scenes follow the Easter story along a road starting with Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It is a joyful scene as Jesus on a donkey is welcomed as a King against a backdrop of mosaiced houses.
It progresses to Jesus at the Last Supper, where Jesus blesses the bread and wine and shares a meal with his disciples – and then to Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. There is a scene displayed of Jesus being brought before Pilate and put on trial for blasphemy, and another of him being crucified between two criminals.
And the scene of the resurrection shows the risen Jesus standing at the door of the tomb, as a fulfilment of what he had promised. The final scene is the Ascension, when Jesus ascended to heaven to be with His Father.
Ali Mascarenhas, authorised lay minister, has taken the mosaics on tour to Christ Church, Totland, and will be at the Easter Sunday service at All Saints, Freshwater, as well. The mosaics will be on display inside St Mary’s, Brighstone, for people to enjoy over the Easter period and for several weeks afterwards.
And there were several churches hosting Easter Sunday sunrise services, including one on the beach at Freshwater Bay hosted by Churches Together in West Wight, from 6am – followed by breakfast in The Albion. There was also a sunrise service at 6:15am behind The Briny restaurant on Southsea beach organised by St Jude’s, Southsea, followed by hot cross buns. Worshippers gathered outside St Peter and St Paul Church, Hambledon, for the lighting of the fire and blessing of the Paschal candle - before tucking into bacon sandwiches.
Worshippers in Shanklin celebrated an open-air sunrise celebration on the beach at the bottom of Hope Road from 6.15am on Easter Sunday, followed by breakfast in the South East Beach Cafe. Worshippers from the Cowes group ministry hosted a dawn beach service at Gurnard beach from 6am. And St Faith’s Church, Lee-on-the-Solent also held an Easter morning sunrise service on their local beach.
Later on Easter Sunday, many churches held celebratory services, focussing on the risen Christ and the good news that means for our world.