William & Catherine, Peter & Laura

Trish Underhill made this splendid wedding cake for the Royal Wedding. It will not actually be used by the happy couple but by well wishers who will be partying during the day. We will remember William and Catherine at Mass on Easter Friday. On Easter Saturday at St Pancras we celebrate the marriage of Peter MacNeil & Laura Flynn.

I'm on the top of the world

We said farewell today to Fr Mark Podesta, priest of the archdiocese of Sydney, who has been staying with us since Easter Sunday. Fr Mark (pictured middle - I'm on the left and Fr Jonathan Martin, chancellor of the diocese of Arundel & Brighton, is on the right) is studying canon law at the Gregorian University in Rome. We are on The Mount in Lewes, close to our Good Friday cross positioned after the walk of witness. Behind us are the Lewes Priory ruins. In front of us Lewes Football club were playing the equivalent fom Bishops Stortford. Today I requested permission from the Priory trsutees to celebrate Mass in the Priory grounds on the feast of St Pancras, Thursday 12th May. I look forward to their response.

Christ is risen!

The great joy of the Easter celebration is the baptism, reception, confirmation and first Holy Communion of so many who come into full communion with the Catholic Church. In our parish we celebrated the baptism and confirmation of Joanna Stephens and the reception and confirmation of Lucy Williams and Steve Wilson. Joy Wilson (no relation) decorated the font this year. The church looks beautiful! 

The Easter Triduum begins

The altar of repose at St Pancras Lewes was built this afternoon. The Mass of the Lord's Supper begins at 8pm and the watch before the Blessed Sacrament continues until Midnight.
Tomorrow, Good Friday, Children's Way of the Cross at 10am.
12 noon Stations of the cross
3pm The Liturgy of the Passion and Death of the Lord. This year we are singing the Passion.
6pm The Walk of witness with other Christians from St Pancras Church
On Holy Saturday 
9am Office of Readings & Lauds, a quiet and reflective time to mark the day
8pm The Easter Vigil & First Mass of the Resurrection
On Easter Sunday
9am Mass of Easter Sunday with the schola singing
10.30am Mass of  Easter Sunday with a homily for the children
12.30m Low Mass in the Extraordinary form.

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us
Therefore let us keep the feast.

HOLY WEEK & EASTER

The Mass at 10.30am on Palm Sunday begins with a processon from the school playground.

The Easter Triduum begins at 8pm on Thursday 21st April with the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper with a watch at the altar of repose until Midnight.
Jesus said to his disciples, 'Would you not watch with me one hour...' Following the Lord himself then, we keep this watch. For some,  just a few minutes, others stay for the duration. The important thing is that we keep some of the watch and  allow Our Lord to help us enter deeply into the mystery. The church is stripped after Mass, except the altar of repose which has been beautifully decorated with candles and blossoms. Before Mass the holy water stoups have been drained and the tabernacle stands empty and unveiled. There is a sense here of both the basics and beginnings of our faith. The procession of the Blessed Sacrament, consecrated at this Mass, to the altar of respose brings the Mass to a conclusion but there is no formal end to the liturgy. Like the first disciples we drift away into the night.

As I think about the Cross

Term finished at St Pancras School yesterday. We prayed before we left school and made the way of the Cross. The school hall became Calvary hill and the children effortlessly spun round in their places to follow the action. Our Lord and Our Lady were beautifully and movingly portrayed and the readers and other players were well prepared and serious in their presentation. Many thanks to Ms McGregor Boyle and Miss de Vere for their hard work.
The way of the Cross for children will be celebrated in St Pancras Church on Good Friday at 10am and we will enjoy a hot cross bun (a good morning collation on a day of fasting and abstinence) in the Wood Room afterwards.

We will sing again the moving children's hymn As I think about the Cross. In these days our focus is the Cross of Christ; again we will be led more deeply into the mystery of the Cross. Our children got us off to a very good start yesterday.