House Chronicle for HOLY WEEK and EASTER 2026
Our oblate, Canon Christopher Jackson, arrived the Saturday before Palm Sunday (28 March). The lodges, which were already filling up, looked splendid, as if floating on a sea of daffodils and primroses.
There was a good crowd for the Palm Sunday procession. Fr Chris preached on Jesus’ humanity, his need for friends to sustain and help him before his great ordeal. And Fr Chris exhorted us, too, to accompany Jesus as friends over the coming holy days.
During Vespers there was a mighty downpour, and later, during supper, a magnificent double rainbow, an already triumphal arch leading into Holy Week.
As the days unfolded, more guests appeared, some regulars but also some new faces including the niece of Dame Felicitas Corrigan making a first visit to Stanbrook North.
These days, inevitably busy, were anchored by Fr Chris’ nourishing and thought-provoking homilies, and filled with a sense of expectancy and purposefulness.
It was especially encouraging to have a white veil in our midst as Sr Elizabeth experienced her first Holy week and Triduum in the habit and began to take on more liturgical and other responsibilities. She made her debut at the Easter Vigil with a clear and prayerful reading.
Our hope was further bolstered by the presence of discerners, who had been with us since early March. Each gave invaluable help on all fronts.
The Last Discourse was read very clearly by professura, Sr Thérèse Murphy, using an adapted version of the New English Bible which came across well.
Maundy Thursday was a glorious spring day as one imagines it might have been that last week of Jesus’ earthly life. The traditional ceremonies were carried out by Mother Abbess, both in the refectory where she served the community bread and wine, and also in church where she helped Fr Chris with the Mandatum.
The weather changed to misty, grey and wet on Good Friday, fittingly, but opened up after the Commemoration of the Passion. D. Benedicta’s team of lay readers did very well throughout the week.
But the question in everyone’s mind was, ‘What will the weather be like early on Sunday morning?’ Our Vigil was set for 4.30am and a named storm – ‘Dave’ – was set to cross the country Sat/Sun…
By 3am, thankfully, the worst of the storm had petered out. The sky was clear, and a low, waning, gibbous moon shone brightly in the south. However, there was still a fair wind so guests arriving for the Vigil were shepherded to shelter on arrival in the service yard garage. Then, just before 4.30, the words everyone was awaiting: ‘Would those who wish, please step outside!’ Everyone – we were about 50 souls – wished! After much patience and appeals for a lighter from the assembly, small flames began to lick the prepared wood before leaping to full life. See the image with this post, taken by Oblate, Chris Pritchard. The procession through the cloisters was dramatic, recalling that we had made the week before on Palm Sunday, and all that had happened since.
As we stood in church, grouped informally before the Paschal Candle and hearing the weighty words of the Exsultet sung beautifully by D. Andrea, one could see again that the abbey church was designed for Easter. There was the Cross, presiding in the apse, the gold gleaming softly in the candlelight; there was the lesser light of the Moon illuminating the SW sky; there were God’s people, around the font, sign of our common baptism and unity in Christ.
This year Fr Chris had two servers: Joseph and John Hammond. The joy of the Gloria was heightened by the skilful ringing by George Hammond of the hand-bell. His brother, James, helped the MC to light the altar’s ‘big six’. In the full light it became possible to see the detail on the Paschal Candle, designed and executed by D. Julian: An icon of Our Lady looks on the devasted scenes in Lebanon while tears fall from the sky and the words on the Cross read, ‘I shall wipe away’, leaving the viewer to complete the sentence as they contemplate the candle, symbol of Christ, Light and Healer of the World.
As Fr Chris’ homily brought out, we are celebrating the New Creation which God has brought about by the Paschal Mystery of his Son, the Word, through whom the first Creation, which our sinful actions have despoiled, was made.
Easter morning, complete with sunshine and leaping lambs, was indeed like Eden restored. The Day Mass with its solemn Latin chants was sung heartily and again there was a good sized congregation, including many who had not attended the Vigil and so renewed their baptismal promises. The new and ample asperges brush assured that everyone received a proper drenching!
Fr Chris’ homily was based around three of the permanent symbols in the abbey church and which he noted illustrate that ‘Christ has died’ (the Crucifix); ‘Christ is Risen’ (the etching of the risen Christ and St Mary Magdalen on the Ambo); and ‘Christ will come again’ (the Alpha and Omega etched on the front of the altar).
The joyful gathering for drinks after the Day Mass, as that earlier for hot cross buns after the Vigil, gave a chance to meet and greet those with whom we had been travelling liturgically throughout Holy Week and the Triduum.
And now an Octave to meditate on the grace of the Resurrection – and the whole of Paschaltide to deepen that meditation. Deo gratias! Alleluia, alleluia!
From the House Chronicle