Holy Week and Easter at Romsey Abbey

Palm Sunday 13th April

8.00am Holy Communion
9.30am Liturgy of Palms with Procession and Eucharist (Livestreamed)
11.15am Abbey Vine with Palm Procession and Holy Communion
6.30pm Choral Evensong

St. Swithun's 10am Holy Communion
Compline@nine (Facebook)

Monday of Holy Week 14th April

9.15am Morning Prayer
5.00pm Evening Prayer
8.00pm Sung Compline with the choir

Tuesday of Holy Week 15th April

9.15am Morning Prayer with Eucharist
5.00pm Evening Prayer
8.00pm Sung Compline with the choir

Wednesday of Holy Week 16th April

9.15am Morning Prayer
5.00pm Evening Prayer
8.00pm Sung Compline with the choir

Maundy Thursday 17th April

9.15am Morning Prayer with Eucharist
5.00pm Evening Prayer
7.30pm Eucharist with washing of feet and stripping of altar followed by a Watch for one hour of silent prayer with readings and reflection in St. Anne's chapel

Good Friday 18th April

10.00am The Liturgy of Good Friday with Romsey Abbey Choirs - The Passion, Devotions at the Cross, Holy Communion (Livestreamed)
12.00pm Good Friday worship outside Bradbeers with Churches Together 
2.00pm Women of Holy Week - a dramatic performance

St. Swithun's 2.00pm Hour by the cross

Easter Eve 19th April

10.00am Easter Eve walk with service on Green Hill (approx 40 mins walk) followed by refreshments. Meet at the Church Rooms. Dogs welcome.
8.00pm The Easter Vigil with fire, marking the Easter Candle, the Easter Exultet and Holy Communion

Easter Day 20th April

8.00am Holy Communion
10.00am Easter Festal Eucharist with Romsey Abbey Choirs and children's Easter activities (Livestreamed)
3.30pm Prayer Book Holy Communion
6.30pm Festal Evensong

St. Swithun's 10am Easter Holy Communion
Compline@Nine (Facebook)

A Guide through Holy Week

Ever wondered about all the different services and events through Holy Week and what they mean? Here is a guide to help you explore and enter into Holy Week further.

Introduction to Holy Week 

The very first Christians made a weekly memorial of the death and resurrection of Christ, every Sunday celebrating the resurrection. Over time, what we now think of as “the Church Year” developed, including the structure of Holy Week and Easter including all the great themes of redemption: incarnation, suffering, death, resurrection, glorification. Through participation in the whole sequence , we share in Christ’s own journey, from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the empty tomb on Easter morning. Some of the liturgy and ceremonies date back to at least the fourth century so we are joining not only with the church throughout the world, but also with Christians through the centuries.

Palm Sunday

We traditionally (weather permitting) begin the Palm Sunday Eucharist outside in the South Garth and process with palms around the Abbey and in through the North Door, recalling Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The tradition of a liturgical procession with palms was already being observed in Jerusalem in the fourth century. In place of the normal Gospel reading, the Passion Narrative is read, in which the whole story of Holy Week until Christ’s burial is anticipated.

Maundy Thursday

The liturgy for Maundy Thursday re-enacts Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet, demonstrating the humble service Christ bids us show each other. It also celebrates the institution of the Eucharist in the Last Supper, when Christ broke bread and took the cup and said to the disciples “This is my body….this is my blood.”. We therefore sing the Gloria for the first time since before Lent began.

The name “Maundy Thursday” comes from the latin mandatum, ‘commandment’, because in John’s Gospel, at the last supper Jesus says: “I give you a new commandment: love one another; as I have loved you, so you are to love one another.” ”(John 13.34 NEB)

At the end of the service, we process with Christ to the Garden of Gethsemane (represented by St Ann’s Chapel), and hear of his arrest, then disperse in silence, to symbolise the flight of the disciples. Meanwhile, the altar is stripped and left bare, ready for the desolation of Good Friday.

Some churches hold a vigil of prayer and watching with Jesus in his agony overnight from Thursday to Friday.  (‘Could you not watch with me one hour?’)

Good Friday

The church remains bare, with all ornaments covered. At the Last Supper, Jesus said “Never again will I drink from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father”. (Matthew 26:29 NEB). We therefore take communion only in one kind (bread) which has been consecrated the evening before at the Maundy Thursday Eucharist.

The service also features a large wooden Cross, representing Christ’s Cross which he was forced to carry to his execution, and includes the opportunity for members of the congregation to venerate it, remembering his sacrifice. “Behold the wood of the Cross, one which hung the salvation of the world. Come, let us adore.”  

Like many towns, Romsey has an ecumenical service on Good Friday, to witness to the town. In Romsey, this takes place at 12 noon in the Cornmarket. In some cases, this is preceded by a march of witness as the congregation from different churches converge on the centre carrying crosses.

Traditionally, the period from 12 noon to 3pm is considered to be the time Christ was on the Cross. At the Abbey we mark the final hour, 2pm to 3pm.

Holy Saturday

There is no liturgy during the day on Holy Saturday. It is a day of reflection and waiting. However, the church is gradually prepared for Easter, with rising excitement as the Easter Vigil draws near.

The Easter Vigil is one of the most exciting and dramatic services in the Church’s calendar. Following readings which tell the story of our salvation, the church is darkened and we go outside where the Easter fire is kindled.  In a beautiful liturgy the Paschal candle, which will be lit for every baptism for the following year, is marked with Christ’s wounds, and then lit from the Easter fire.

We process back into the darkened church, with lit candles, proclaiming “The Light of Christ”. Then with a glorious fanfare and outburst of bells and the popping of corks, the resurrection is proclaimed and the church is flooded with light. The singing of the Exsultet, the ancient hymn of triumph and rejoicing, links this night of our Christian redemption to the Passover night of Israel’s redemption out of Egypt.

Easter Day

The Church of England website says: “The Easter Gospel is proclaimed with all the joy and splendour that the church can find.” After the restraint of Lent, we are assaulted with the sight and smell of spring flowers, and we can sing “Alleluia”! Baptism is a participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. The baptized dies to sin in order to be reborn in him. The Eucharist service incorporates the renewal of baptismal vows and the sprinkling of the congregation with water from the font.