Fr Patrick writes…
It felt very unusual to be observing Holy Week and Easter with the churches closed. At 11am on Maundy Thursday we usually have the “Chrism Mass” with the Bishop in the Cathedral. This year I followed it live, broadcast online from the Bishops House. I too managed to put up online simple video services for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, but I have not yet got the hang of doing things live.
I also posted two videos in the style of School Assemblies. My daughter, Caroline, helped with these, which makes them much more fun to watch. The first one “Preparing for Palm Sunday” included a “Make a Palm Cross” activity. Palm leave were available outside 175, Station Lane, Lapworth. It was lovely to hear about people making Palm Crosses and to receive some pictures.
In the second video Caroline and I brushed up our baking skills by making Hot Cross Buns, as a preparation for Good Friday. Again, lots of pictures came in.
As always, the highlight was Easter Day and the great joy of celebrating in the garden on a beautiful spring morning. At 175, Station Lane the Jackson Family put out an Easter Garden with a rainbow stone rolled away from a tomb. They also put we put out a basket of Easter Eggs and invited people to take one. Many families found it convenient, as part of their daily exercise outside the home, to pass by No. 175 and pick up an Easter Egg!
