Begin the holy season of Lent with the Midday Eucharist and the Imposition of Ashes, led by Bishop Sophie Jelley. A simple and prayerful liturgy marking our turning again to God.
Immediately following the Eucharist, ashes will be offered outside the main Cathedral entrance for those unable to remain for the full service. Clergy will be present to speak and pray with those passing by, offering a brief moment of blessing in the midst of busy lives.
Though often associated with Christmas, much of Handel’s Messiah was written for Lent and Easter. These excerpts focus on Christ’s Passion, sacrifice, and the promise of redemption. Through reflective arias and choruses drawn from Scripture, the music invites quiet contemplation and prepares us for the journey toward Easter.
Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater (1736) is a setting of the medieval Latin hymn describing Mary’s sorrow at the crucifixion of Christ. Pergolesi conveys grief through graceful melodies, gentle dissonances, and a close dialogue between the voice parts. Stabat Mater offers a powerful meditation on suffering and faith, made all the more poignant by the composer’s own short life, having died age 26.
Thomas Tallis’s Lamentations of Jeremiah is a Renaissance choral work, setting verses from the biblical Book of Lamentations, which mourns the destruction of Jerusalem. Written for Holy Week, the music reflects themes of grief, loss, and repentance. Slow, flowing lines and gentle harmonies create a powerful atmosphere of sorrow, reflection, and quiet intensity, preparing us for the journey to the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday.
On Maundy Thursday, the Bishop leads the Chrism Eucharist with the Renewal of Ministerial Vows. All are warmly invited to come and support our clergy and lay readers as the oils are blessed and ministry is renewed.
The Holy Eucharist with Foot-washing and the Stripping of the Altar recalls the commandment of love and the gathering darkness of the Passion. The liturgy concludes with a short Watch in the Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane.
The Liturgy of the Day draws us into the solemn prayer of Good Friday, as we stand at the foot of the Cross and contemplate Christ’s saving love.
At noon, walk the Way of the Cross in the Cathedral ruins. This outdoor devotion invites prayerful reflection on Christ’s journey to Calvary.
On Holy Saturday there are no services in the Cathedral. This day of stillness and waiting marks the time when Christ lies in the tomb. The Church keeps silence, resisting the urge to hurry to Easter joy, and holds vigil with the grief, uncertainty and hope of the world.
The Service of Light proclaims the resurrection at first light, followed by the Eucharist with Baptism and Confirmation. From darkness into dawn, the Church sings its first Alleluia.
Celebrate Easter Day with the Cathedral Festal Eucharist. A joyful gathering to proclaim Christ risen, with word, sacrament and song.
Easter Day concludes with Festal Choral Evensong, a rich offering of music and prayer as the light of the Resurrection lingers into the evening.