How we’re celebrating Holy Week this year with St. Bede’s
I pray you are all doing well in your continued efforts at social distancing. This year marks a sad time for the church, as for the first time in recent memory, the church will not be gathering together to walk with Jesus from his Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to the celebration of the last supper, to the agony of the cross. Yet we will continue to mark these holy occasions together in new ways.
This Sunday we will be celebrating Palm Sunday together at 10:30am. As we cannot process if you are able please send a short video of you waving your palm(s) (your hand – or if you have palms from past years at home) to James at jpothi@gmail.com by Saturday at 3pm.
Please note: The palm branches we normally would have given out have been prayerfully made into palm crosses for you by members of the parish and will be distributed when we gather again for worship.
On Maundy Thursday at 5pm we will have a short reflective service with some instructions sent earlier in the week about how to mark this day in your home with a meal and footwashing. This video can be watched later if you would like. For those who desire a more formal Maundy Thursday service I invite you to participate in the diocesan live streamed service at 7pm on the diocesan facebook page.
On Good Friday at 10am we will be having a modified Good Friday service with the reading of the Passion narrative.
And of course we will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday at 10:30am
If you are able at this time – please remember to support the Teesdale foodbank with a donation towards our Easter Foodbank Drive. Donations can be sent to our wardens at cw-stbedes@toronto.anglican.ca – Please put Food Bank in the subject line.
Lastly I want to share with you some good news for the churches. The Anglican Diocese of Toronto has granted all Anglican Churches a time of Jubilee for the months of April and May. This Jubilee is a time of debt forgiveness where the diocese is not collecting from any parish the regular parish allotment which goes to the working of the diocese nor any clergy salary. The diocese is sacraficing some of their own resources to ensure no church must close due to this epidemic. This generous offer takes a considerable stress off of individual parish finances. More information about this initiative can be found on the diocesan website.
As we have been forgiven our debt, in the time of our absence from meeting, we in turn are also not collecting any of our regular revenue from our tenants. As we are unsure of how long this may last we are still in financial need and ask that you continue to give generously to the parish as you are able. Ministry still continues on and your donations are still needed. We thank you in advance for remembering us in your giving.
As we begin to walk with Jesus towards the cross may we remember that alone we can do nothing but through his sacrifice, we receive his love love and mercy.
I pray a happy Holy Week to you all,
Jennifer +