THE TRIDUUM
As we approach the Triduum, the great three days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day, may I take this opportunity to wish you a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter when it comes. For Christians, this week is of utmost importance as we commemorate the events of our redemption. You can find the full list of services here.

On MAUNDY THURSDAY the question addressed to the disciples – ‘Could you not watch with me one hour?’ – is addressed to us as we take part in the Watch of the Passion until Midnight that follows the Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper at 8pm. I encourage each one of you to make a personal commitment to being present for at least some of that time, whether earlier in the evening or later. The Altar of Repose will be on the All Souls’ Altar in the Memorial Chapel (rather than the Lady Chapel as usual) in order to facilitate social distancing.

GOOD FRIDAY for us is not a holiday but a Holy Day and marked by fasting, prayer and attendance at the Liturgy of the Day at 10am. Because we are unable to venerate the cross with the customary kiss I invite you to consider bringing with you to the service a crucifix from home that you can venerate at the appropriate point in the service. In addition, there is a new service of Tenebrae at 9pm. A beautiful and contemplative service that marks the transition from Good Friday to Holy Saturday as candles are gradually extinguished until we are left in darkness. It is important to remember that cannot celebrate the fullness of Christ’s new life if we have not also walked with him on the Way of the Cross.

Our celebration of the new life of Christ begins with the Dawn Vigil and First Mass of EASTER at 5.45am. This is the greatest service of the Christian year, with the Service of Light, the Vigil readings telling the story of salvation, the Renewal of Baptismal Vows and the Mass of the Resurrection. As an added incentive you will be given fresh coffee and smoked salmon bagels to take away for breakfast! Thank you to Darina, Anne Gretton and Fiona Brannon who have prepared this. Our celebrations continue with Low Mass at 8am, Sung High Mass at 10am and Children’s Mass at 11.30am. Remember that we are asking you to send an email to the Parish Office using easter@stmichaelbarnes.org for 10am and 11.30am so we can seat as many people as possible in a safe manner.

Last year, I had the bizarre experience of celebrating the mysteries of Holy Week in my dining room! As lovely as some of that was, it was also tremendously lonely and sad. So this year, we should rejoice that most of us are now able to gather together in church because of the vaccine and the lifting of restrictions, though we still do so with utmost care and caution. However, for those who are vulnerable or unable to leave home, the main liturgies will be broadcast live on Facebook and You Tube through our website with Orders of Service  available to download.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTExOrxD97ng8MF8LKSg9CQ/live
https://www.facebook.com/saintmichaelbarnes/videos
Note: You don’t need to sign up to Facebook to watch – if a pop-up box invites you to join, please click it away and carry on watching.

THANK YOU!
Thank you to all those who have donated towards the Easter Lilies. A list of those you have asked to be remembered will be put up at the back of church. At this time, so many people pull together to make our observance of Holy Week and Easter particularly special. On behalf of the Clergy, Warden and PCC I’d like to express my thanks for your assistance and devotion.

WHITE RABBIT BOOK
Our very own Spike/Stevie McGarrity has produced book to mark 10 years of ‘The White Rabbit’ of Barnes! It is a beautifully produced book with many familiar faces and places from the local area! Copies will be on sale for a suggested donation of £10 on Easter Day. Or you can contact Spike through the Parish Office to purchase a copy.

NEW APCM DATE
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will now take place on Monday 17th May. Evening Prayer at 7.30pm with the meeting at 8pm.
Revision of the Electoral Roll (the list of church members). A copy of the current roll is on the noticeboard at the back of the church. The roll will be updated in preparation for the Annual Meeting. The roll is an important reflection of the strength of our church community.  If you are not already on the Electoral Roll, please do complete a form, as it is important that all those who consider St Michael’s to be their church are on it.  The form can be found here with hard copies available at the back of church. It is one form per person (not household) and you can be on the roll of more than one church at the same time. Forms need to be completed and returned by 18th April.
 
FR STEPHEN ANNUAL LEAVE AND PARISH OFFICE
Fr Stephen is on annual leave from 8th to 15th April and during this time there will be no Morning Prayer during the week but Mass continues as usual. If you have urgent pastoral matters please contact Fr Martin (curate@stmichaelbarnes.org) or Mthr Judith (revjr@blueyonder.co.uk or 020 8878 5642). 

The Parish Office will be manned intermittently during the weeks of 5th and 12th April, although emails will be checked on a regular basis. 

BARNES MUSIC FESTIVAL TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets are on sale for this year’s festival ‘Music and Theatre’ – 17th-30th May, with Saint Michael’s again forming a prominent part:
Sunday 16th May, 10.00am Mass with Ibstock Place School’s Schola Cantorum (Pre-Festival event).
Tuesday 18th May, 1-2pm Philip Berg is the soloist at a lunch time Organ Recital.
Sunday 23rd May, 7.00pm ‘Musical Gems from Bach and Purcell’ with the English Chamber Singers, conducted by Martin Neary.
Sunday 30th May, 6.00pm Festival Evensong (at Saint Mary’s) featuring the St Michael’s choir.
More information on the festival and how to book tickets can be found on the Barnes Music Festival’s website.

SERVICES NEXT WEEK
APRIL
Monday 5th
Bank Holiday. Church open but no services today
Tuesday 6th
9.00am Morning Prayer
Wednesday 7th
9.00am Morning Prayer
12.00pm Angelus and Mass
Saturday 10th
9.30am Mass
Sunday 11th Second Sunday of Eastertide
8.00am Low Mass
9.00am Morning Prayer
10.00am Sung Mass – livestreamed on Facebook and You Tube
Preacher: Fr Martin, Curate
No Children’s Mass today
No Evening Prayer today

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Sick: Frances Harman, Rosalyn Fletcher, Tina Wilkinson, Ali Adams, Colin Harrison
Recently Died: Cathie Sacré, Carol Barker, John Brown  
Anniversary of Death: Leslie Barlow, Robert Want, Margaret Gretton, Sally Sangster, James McTear, Rosa Emmerson

Welcome to St Michael’s Parish Notices this week as we continue our Lent pilgrimage together. This Sunday we reflect particularly on Walsingham as a site of pilgrimage. The full Lent leaflet is here.

THIS SUNDAY – Lent 4              Pilgrimage Theme: ‘Walsingham’
8.00am Low Mass
9.00am Morning Prayer
10.00am Sung Mass* w. blessing and distribution of flowers
Readings: 1 Samuel 1.20-end and 2 Corinthians 1.3-7
Gospel: John 19.25b-27
Introit Hymn: Sing we of the blessed Mother
Lent Prose
Offertory hymn: Ave verum – Elgar 
Communion Hymn: O love, how deep
11.30am Children’s Mass w. blessing and distribution of flowers
12.30am Zoom Coffee + (see below and note later time!)
6.00pm Choral Evensong w. blessing of choir lights (online only)
NB. All services are now in-person. Livestreamed services are indicated with a *

You don’t need to sign up to Facebook to watch – if a pop-up box invites you to join, please click it away and carry on watching.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTExOrxD97ng8MF8LKSg9CQ/live
https://www.facebook.com/saintmichaelbarnes/videos
 
CHILDREN’S SERVICES RETURN!
We are delighted to announce that our Children’s Services return. For details of all children’s services and events please see our special leaflet.
 
ZOOM COFFEE THIS WEEK      12.30pm – 1.15pm      NOTE LATER TIME!
Fr Peter Anthony, formerly Shrine Priest at Walsingham (currently Vicar of St Benet’s Kentish Town) joins us to talk about what makes Walsingham special.

Topic: St Michael’s Zoom Coffee
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81480421749
Meeting ID: 814 8042 1749

CHORAL EVENSONG  – 6pm ONLINE ONLY
This Sunday we have a special broadcast choral evensong when we will bless our new choir lights to the glory of God and dedicate them in memory of Anthony Gardiner. Due to current restrictions relating to singing and choirs this service must be broadcast online only. Follow the links on the homepage of the St Michael’s website to find it live or watch it later. The order of service is here.

‘My journey of faith’ evensong returns on Sunday 21^st with Topaz Amoore as our speaker.
 
EASTER LILIES
As usual, we invite donations towards the Easter flowers at Saint Michael’s in memory of departed loved ones. Please make a donation to the Parish Office marked ‘Easter Lilies’ and with the name of the person or people you’d like remembered, and these will be recorded on a memorial list.
 
LENT APPEAL
The lockdowns over the last year have been financially difficult for some of us. However, for others the lockdown has also enabled the saving of money that would otherwise have been spent on holidays, eating out and other activities. Alms-giving is an important discipline in Lent as we consider what we are able to offer to the Church in God’s service. In light of this, those who are in a fortunate position should consider what gift they can make to Saint Michael’s to help us make up the shortfall from giving that has inevitably resulted from having significant periods of the year when collections were impossible or down considerably. Please give this your consideration, and whether you decide to make a one-off donation or to join or increase your giving,  you can find information about to do this on the Giving pages of our website here.

FOR THE DIARY … 

• THE ANNUNCIATION  Thursday 25^th March
  We keep this feast with Mass at 6.00pm and the Rosary at 5pm. More details soon. Please put the date in your diary.
• HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES
  These will be advertised fully from next Sunday onwards – look out for further information.

SERVICES NEXT WEEK
Monday 15th
9.00am Morning Prayer
7.00pm Holy Hour: Silent Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
Tuesday 16th
9.00am Morning Prayer
Wednesday 17th – S. Patrick
9.00am Morning Prayer
12.00pm Angelus and Mass
Thursday 18th – S. Cyril of Jerusalem
9.00am Morning Prayer
Saturday 20th
9.00am Morning Prayer
9.30am Mass   
Sunday 21st– Lent 5/Passion Sunday               Pilgrimage Theme: ‘Santiago de Compostela’
8.00am  Low Mass
9.00am Morning Prayer
10.00am Sung Mass * 
Preacher: Fr Martin Calderbank
11.30am Children’s Mass
11.45am Zoom Coffee+ with Neil Tryner, walking pilgrim of the Camino
6.00pm  Lent Evensong. ‘My journey of faith … so far’ with Topaz Amoore

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Sick: Frances Harman, Rosalyn Fletcher, Tina Wilkinson, Ali Adams, Colin Harrison
Recently Died: David Lloyd-Thomas, Cathie Sacré
Anniversary of Death: Marjorie Fuller, Clare Parsons, Joan Waterhouse, Pamela Hoyer-Miller, Annie Jones, Charles Winter, Lionel West, Hilda Eyles, Iris Hamilton, Mary Chandos, 

Image: The Christ Pantocrator mosaic at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Welcome to St Michael’s Parish Notices this week as we continue our Lent pilgrimage together. This Sunday we reflect particularly on Jerusalem as a site of pilgrimage. You can find the relevant chapter from our Lent Book here. The full Lent leaflet is here.

THIS SUNDAY – Lent 3              Pilgrimage Theme: ‘Jerusalem’
8.00am: Low Mass 
9.00am: Morning Prayer 
10.00am: Sung Mass *
Readings: Exodus 20.1-17 and 1 Corinthians 1.18-25
Gospel: John 2.13-22
Introit Hymn: He who would valiant be
Lent Prose
Offertory hymn: When I survey the wondrous cross
Communion Hymn: O Lord, increase my faith, Henry Loosemore
11.45am: Zoom Coffee + (see below)
6.00pm: Lent Evensong (see below)
NB. All services are now in-person. Livestreamed services are indicted with a *

You don’t need to sign up to Facebook to watch – if a pop-up box invites you to join, please click it away and carry on watching.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTExOrxD97ng8MF8LKSg9CQ
https://www.facebook.com/saintmichaelbarnes/videos

ZOOM COFFEE THIS WEEK      11.45am-12.30pm
Rosemary Nutt join us as she tells us about Jerusalem as a place of pilgrimage.
About Rosemary: Rosemary Nutt works for the leading pilgrimage firm McCabe Pilgrimages. Members of Saint Michael’s went to the Holy Land with McCabe in 2018. Rosemary has been organising pilgrimages and visiting the Holy Land for many years and has seen the revival of pilgrimage in many places around the world.

Topic: St Michael’s Zoom Coffee
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81480421749
Meeting ID: 814 8042 1749

SUNDAY EVENSONG ‘My journey of faith’ with James Day
This Sunday at 6.00pm we welcome James Day as the third of our Lent Evensong speakers on the theme ‘My journey of faith … so far’. The service is accompanied on the organ by Coralie Day and Ben Law.

11.30AM CHILDREN’S MASS RESTARTING – from 14th March
With schools going back this coming week, and having consulted with parents, now is the right time to restart our 11.30am Children’s Mass, with the first service next Sunday 14^th March for Mothering Sunday. For more information please email the office to receive the Children and Families News Email.

EASTER LILIES
As usual we will be decorating the church with lilies for Easter. If you would like to make a donation to the cost of the lilies in memory of a loved one, please leave cash in an envelope marked ‘Lilies’ at the Parish Office with the names of those you would like to be remembered. Envelopes can be slid under the door if the office is closed. Alternatively, cash and names can be given to Fiona Brannon or Jane Gardiner.

NEW DIOCESAN WEBSITE – featuring Saint Michael’s!
The Diocese of Southwark has refreshed its website. If you go to the website (www.southwark.anglican.org) you may be lucky enough to see this wonderful photo of Saint Michael’s taken last Christmas by Leyi Zhang. I say ‘lucky’ because there is a range of about eight different photos from different churches and you get a different one each time! But here’s a screenshot of the photo from St Michael’s.

LENT APPEAL
The lockdowns over the last year have been financially difficult for some of us. However, for others the lockdown has also enabled the saving of money that would otherwise have been spent on holidays, eating out and other activities. Alms-giving is an important discipline in Lent as we consider what we are able to offer to the Church in God’s service. In light of this, those who are in a fortunate position should consider what gift they can make to Saint Michael’s to help us make up the shortfall from giving that has inevitably resulted from having significant periods of the year when collections were impossible or down considerably. Please give this your consideration, and whether you decide to make a one-off donation or to join or increase your giving, you can find information about how to do this on the Giving pages of our website here.
 
SOME GENTLE REMINDERS – talking and distancing
As conditions improve and infections continue to reduce, we must still keep in mind some of the important rules:

• Current rules do not permit people to gather in groups in the church to talk. From Monday 8^th March you are permitted to walk and talk with one other person outside but gathering inside to talk is still not permitted. If you choose to talk with other people after church that is (in a sense) your choice, but I ask you to do this away from the immediate vicinity of the church so that we are not the subject of complaints about illegal activity.
• Please also keep in mind social-distancing inside the building as well as out. As more people begin to come to church again, we all need to be particularly mindful of where other people are sitting and make sure we are ideally 2 metres away from other people. If in doubt, the Stewards may ask you to move and we ask that you are please understanding if this takes place.

CHANGE OF DATES

• The APCM won’t be able to take place on the anticipated date of 25th April, as such meetings aren’t permitted at that time. However, we willlet you know a new date as soon as it is decided upon.
• We are also taking the precaution of moving the Midsummer Fete to 26th June in the hope that restrictions might be lifted in time. Please adjust your diaries accordingly.

SERVICES NEXT WEEK
MARCH
Monday 8th 
9.00am Morning Prayer
7.00pm Holy Hour: Silent Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
Tuesday 9th
9.00am Morning Prayer
Wednesday 10th
9.00am Morning Prayer
12.00pm Angelus and Mass
Thursday 11^th
9.00am Morning Prayer
Saturday 13^th
9.00am Morning Prayer
 9.30am Mass   
Sunday 14^th – Lent 4, Mothering Sunday              Pilgrimage Theme: ‘Walsingham’
8.00am  Low Mass
9.00am Morning Prayer
10.00am Sung Mass * 
Preacher: Fr Stephen Stavrou
11.30am Children’s Mass
Posies of flowers will be blessed and given out at 10am and 11.30am
12.3pm Zoom Coffee+ Fr Peter Anthony, formerly Shrine Priest at Walsingham
Note the later start time for this week only
6.00pm  Choral Evensong with Blessing of Choir Lights
ONLINE ONLY via You Tube and Facebook

REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Sick: Frances Harman, Rosalyn Fletcher, Tina Wilkinson, Ali Adams, Colin Harrison
Recently Died: Darren Simpson-Lees, Lucian Nethsingha, David Lloyd-Thomas
Anniversary of Death: Dorothy Smith, Michael Billing, Anthony Gardiner, Peggy Hoskyns-Abrahall, Juliet Salaman, Sheila Jacks, Valerie Haynes, Gilly Parsons, John Hornblow, Joy Gibben