Seasonal and Special Masses and Services
Seasonal Worship
In addition to our regular worship, special Masses and Services are conducted throughout the year to mark major feasts, such as: Holy Week, Easter, Ascension Day and Christmas.
Timetables and details will be published on this website ahead of each major feast.
LENT, HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
Holy Week marks the most important week in the Christian Year and presents us with deeply profound liturgical celebrations.
Lent - In the run up to Holy Week, we begin the penitential season of Lent with the Mass of Ash Wednesday. Throughout Lent we follow the story of Christ's crucifixion, as we journey through the stations of the Cross. A serious of Lentern sermons on a given theme are preached at the regular Sunday Mass.
Holy Week - On Palm Sunday we begin the liturgy with the blessing of palms outside the Battersea Art Centre and then process along Lavender Hill to the church. Maundy Thursday is marked with the commemoration of the last supper, the washing of hands and the watch over the blessed sacrament in the chapel, adorned with flowers to recreate the garden of Gethsemane. Good Friday is a sombre liturgy with the Altars strip bare and singing unaccompanied. Holy Saturday is marked with a beautiful liturgy where the Pascal Candle is lit from a raging fire outside the church and the Baptismal Waters are blessed.
Easter - A time of jubilant celebration Easter Sunday is often marked with Baptism(s). Joyful worship contrasts the liturgy of Good Friday, confected eggs are distributed to the children of the congregation and Smoked Salmon and Fizz follows the Mass.
ASCENSION DAY
Ascension Day is our patronal festival and if the Bishop of Fulham is available we like to mark the occasion with admittance to first Holy Communion and Confirmation.
This is a a great day of celebration at the Ascension, Lavender Hill.
ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS
Throughout the Season of Advent a series of themed sermons are preached at the Sunday Mass. There is Bible study lead by the parish priest as we await the coming of the Lord.
A crib is set up complete with real hay around the steps of the Font and the church is adorned with a Christmas Tree, kindly gifted by the Christmas Forrest who sell Trees on the Church grounds each year.
Midnight Mass culminates in a procession to the Crib to place the bambino in the manger.