Cathedral Record

Canon Anthony O’Brien –Cathedral Dean

Throughout the month of March, we journey through the Season of Lent leading to the celebrations of Palm Sunday and Holy Week occurring in the first week of April.

One of the joyful and symbolic moments in Lent is when priests and parishioners from right across the archdiocese gather in the Cathedral for the Mass of Chrism in Holy Week. It was an essential element throughout the development of the celebrations and traditions of Lent that there was this experience of coming together on pilgrimage to celebrate these important moments of the liturgy.

There are many other opportunities during this month to come along on pilgrimage to the Cathedral during the earlier periods of the season of Lent. As well as the regular celebrations of the Eucharist there are special Choral Reflections every Sunday afternoon at 3.00 pm - these range from Messiah excerpts to Lamentations and Stabat Mater. The 5.00 pm evening Mass throughout the week is a sung Mass everyday apart from Tuesday

At the start of Holy Week Archbishop Malcolm will lead the procession of Palms into the Cathedral and preside at Solemn Mass on Palm Sunday and there will be sung Tenebrae at 7.00 pm on that evening. There are two public services of the Stations of the Cross on Tuesday Evening at 6.00 pm and Good Friday morning at 11.00 am. Also, as well as the main Holy Week services we have the daily sung celebration of the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer on the three days of the Triduum: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

May our journey through Lent be a time of blessing and renewal as we journey as an archdiocesan Church to the joyful celebration of our salvation in Christ.