station masses

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LENTEN STATION MASSES

A DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE

DIOCESAN LENTEN STATION MASSES The early Christian practice of visiting the tombs of the martyrs around the city of Rome became the foundation of what we understand the Lenten Station Masses to be. In the early fourth century pilgrimage was made to the churches that housed the tombs of martyrs and saints so that the Christians of the city of Rome united with their bishop – the successor of St Peter – would meet together on a common journey of faith and prayer. The Roman Stational Masses grew, largely under Pope Gregory the Great, but later additions have fleshed out the programme somewhat to encompass the whole season of Lent. These stations are simply about pilgrimage and embarking upon a journey that has been walked by Christians across the centuries. It is a pilgrimage that is flavoured by Lenten penance and a searching, a longing, for God. There is also a consciousness of walking where others have trod before; we truly walk in the footsteps of holy men and women. During this season of Lent, in our own diocesan Year of Mission, we are invited to allow this Roman pilgrimage to become our own. There is a simple invitation here for a diocesan family to embark upon its own journey into God, to seek him, to long for him, and to find him. Pilgrimage, by its very nature, demands we move, maybe step away, from what is familiar and what causes us to be settled. Pilgrimage takes us out of ourselves and allows us to encounter others, to walk with others as well as stepping into a richer understanding of the journey life draws us into towards God. This Lent, these Stations around our own diocese give us the chance to make something of that pilgrimage drawing us into prayer and communion with others in our diocesan family. The stopping points on this Lenten journey invite us to encounter the ever-present Lord who sends us out with that mission to proclaim good news to our world. To mark this Lent each Station is invited to celebrate the Mass of the day as they ordinarily would but to make use of a period of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament before or after Mass, or an extended period of Adoration throughout the day. Each Station is also encouraged to pray an appropriate part of the Lit-urgy of the Hours as part of their participation in this Lenten pilgrimage, inviting neighbouring parish communities or parishes within your deanery to join you. You will be able to follow the Lenten pilgrimage on-line at cliftondiocese.com.

THE ICON OF ST MARK, the evangelist for this Year of Mission, will accompany us on our Lenten Stational pilgrimage. Each venue has a copy of the icon to use during Lent as a focus on prayer for our diocesan community. The icon will journey with our bishop for the five liturgies of reconciliation as well as in our cathedral for the Rite of Election and the Chrism Mass. Let us ask St Mark’s intercession that the Church of Clifton might be a church that reaches out with the good news of Christ’s love and compassion for our world. May this Lenten journey - physical and spiritual - find us open to receive the mercy and compas-sion of God so that God’s mercy and compassion may touch and change our world through us.

LENTEN PILGRIMAGE 2018

Ash Wednesday St Catherine, Chipping CamdenThursday 15 February St Michael, Bishops CleeveFriday 16 February St Joseph, TewkesburySaturday 17 February Our Lady of Victories, Cinderford

FIRST WEEK OF LENT Sunday 18 February St Gregory, CheltenhamMonday 19 February St Peter, Prinknash AbbeyTuesday 20 February English Martyrs, TuffleyWednesday 21 February St Joseph, StonehouseThursday 22 February St Luke, Wincanton *Friday 23 February St Dominic, DursleySaturday 24 February Christ the King, Thornbury SECOND WEEK OF LENT Sunday 25 February Holy Rood, SwindonMonday 26 February Sacred Heart, Royal Wooton BassettTuesday 27 February St Mary, SwindonWednesday 28 February St Thomas More, MarlboroughThursday 1 March St John, Bath *Friday 2 March St George, WarminsterSaturday 3 March Christ the King, Amesbury THIRD WEEK OF LENT Sunday 4 March St Osmund, SalisburyMonday 5 March Sacred Heart, TisburyTuesday 6 March St Luke and St Teresa, WincantonWednesday 7 March Our Lady, GlastonburyThursday 8 March Immaculate Conception, Stroud *Friday 9 March Holy Ghost, YeovilSaturday 10 March English Martyrs, Chard FOURTH WEEK OF LENT Sunday 11 March St George, TauntonMonday 12 March St John Fisher, WellingtonTuesday 13 March Holy Rood, Swindon *Wednesday 14 March Sacred Heart, MineheadThursday 15 March Our Lady, Burnham on SeaFriday 16 March St Joseph, PortisheadSaturday 17 March St Dunstan, Keynsham

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT Sunday 18 March St Alphege, BathMonday 19 March Prior Park, BathTuesday 20 March St Lawrence, Chipping SodburyWednesday 21 March Our Lady of the Rosary, Lawrence WestonThursday 22 March St Teresa, Filton *Friday 23 March Christ the King, Knowle West

Saturday 24 March St Joseph’s Home, Cotham HOLY WEEK Palm Sunday St Patrick, RedfieldMonday 26 March St Vincent de Paul, SouthmeadTuesday 27 March St Bernadette, WhitchurchSpy Wednesday Mass of Chrism, Clifton Cathedral

* denotes Liturgy of Reconciliation at 7pm