Church Services During Holy Week

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31023, 31 March 1966, Page 16

Church Services During Holy Week

Solemn ceremonies in both Christchurch cathedrals and several parish churches, as well as a number of combined services, will be held during Holy Week. Next Sunday, Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week. On that day palms will decorate Christchurch Cathedral, and palms will be blessed and distributed at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and all Roman Catholic parish churches.

The main ceremonies leading to Easter will begin on Maundy Thursday, when a special Communion service will be held in Christchurch Cathedral and parish churches, and by the Churches of Christ. Two concelebrated Masses will be held ait the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament—the first in the morning by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) and the Diocesan Council, when Bishop Ashby will bless oils used for annotating the sick and dying throughout the diocese during the year, and the second in the evening, when Bishop Ashby will concelebrate with members of the Cathedral staff. Good Friday A three-hour service conducted by the Ven, H. M. Cocks will begin in Christchurch Cathedral at noon on Good Friday, and a combined service by Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, and Baptist churches will be held in St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. as one of several combined services.

At 3 p.m. the solemn commemoration of the passion and death of Christ will begin in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, at which the Stations of the Cross will be held that evening.

Several Anglican parish churches will also hold threehour services on Good Friday and special services will be held in Roman Catholic parish churches. A combined service for the Christchurch Salvation Army corps will be held in the Citadel.

Full choirs will sing Passiontide music on Good Friday evening in Christchurch Cathedral and the Durham Street Methodist Church. Easter Vigil

An Easter-night vigil will be held in Roman Catholic churches, beginning at 11 p.m. on Saturday, and ending with midnight Mass, Evensong will be held in Christchurch Cathedral at 7.30 o’clock on Saturday. Special services will also be held by all Salvation Army corps. The Easter Day observances in Christchurch Cathedral will include communion services at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., and a choral Eucharist at 11 a.m., at which the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren) will preach. The Bishop of Melanesia (the Rt. Rev. A. Hill) will preach at Evensong on Easter Day.