Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham

Darlington Mission

13 April 2025 – Palm Sunday

Group Pastor – Fr. Thomas Mason – thomas.mason@ordinariate.org.uk  – 01833 631457 – 07876 308657

Assistant Priest – Fr. Ian Westby        Deacon – the Rev’d Carl Watson

Web: https://www.ordinariate-darlington.co.uk

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/OrdDarlFacebook

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OrdDarlington  

Services this week (major services in bold text): 

Monday 14 April, Barnard Castle – 5.30-6pm, Confessions

Monday 14 April, Barnard Castle – 6.15pm, Parish Mass (Latin) – Fig Monday

Tuesday 15 April, Gainford – 10am, Parish Mass – Temple Tuesday

Tuesday 15 April, Barnard Castle – 6pm, Stations of the Cross and Spiritual Address

Wednesday 16 April, Barnard Castle – 6pm, Stations of the Cross and Spiritual Address

Thursday 17 April, Gainford – 7pm, Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper, followed by Watch of the Passion until midnight

Friday 18 April – 11am, Churches Together in Gainford service, takes place at S. Mary’s parish church, Gainford

Friday 18 April, Gainford – 3pm, Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion

Friday 18 April, Barnard Castle – 6pm, Stations of the Cross

Saturday 19 April, Barnard Castle – 10-11am, Confessions

Saturday 19 April, Barnard Castle – 11am, Blessing of Easter food

Saturday 19 April, Gainford – 8.30pm, Easter Vigil 

Sunday 20 April, Gainford – 11.30am, Ordinariate Mass – Easter Day

Prayer List:

Of your charity please pray for all the sick, especially: Morag, Ethel, George Gwilliam, Andrew Gwilliam, Fay Jackson, Sharon & Dennis Walburn, Elaine Robertson, Barbara Ugoletti, Andrea Matthews, Bridget Wright, Graham Pegley, Calvert Hardy, James Hardy, Keith McAllister, Elizabeth Rawling, Charlie Camilleri.

As also for all the faithful departed, particularly the recently departed, as well as those whose years-mind falls at this time including Jessie Taylor. Requiescant in pace.

Ordinariate Festival – 20-22 May, at Precious Blood and All Souls, Coventry. A booking fee of £30 will cover food and drink; participants will need to organise accommodation, information will be provided in due course. To register, please e-mail paul.burch@ordinariate.org.uk

Holy Week – a pilgrimage with Christ

We begin Holy Week with a procession, recalling Christ’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, and this sets the stage for the rest of the week. The whole of this week is a journey, a pilgrimage as it were. It’s a pilgrimage in which we join Christ on his own journey – a journey to the Cross, and then through it to the Resurrection.

Joining Christ on this particular journey, this pilgrimage, is essentially the whole of the Christian life – but it is one which we mark particularly at this time of year. The Church has kept this time with great solemnity, and with unique services since the very earliest days that we have knowledge of; the purpose has been more than just a bare remembrance.

In our Baptisms we were joined to Christ’s death, in order that we can be joined with his Resurrection; and Holy Week gives us the chance to renew and deepen that union. The various events of the this week: the entrance into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the resting in the tomb, and then the Resurrection all have different elements, but they are also joined together to make a single whole – the action of our Redemption.

So we begin today, we enter into Jerusalem (the church) with Christ, we praise him as our King. But we do so knowing what is to come later. On Thursday we will celebrate Mass recalling that Last Supper – the moment when Christ first gave us the Eucharist – we receive Christ’s Body as his disciples did at the original celebration. Following that, Christ went to the Garden of Gethsemane; we take Christ’s body to a small recreation of that garden, and we try to wait with him (hopefully not falling asleep as the disciples did).

On Good Friday we gather with deep solemnity. We do not celebrate Mass on this day. The Church is in mourning for Christ, we know that the Resurrection will follow, but the outrage of mere men putting their Saviour to death is at the front of our minds. We show our love for Christ, and our sorrow for our sins (which all play their part in his death) by kneeling to kiss his feet as he rests on the Cross.

Then on Saturday evening, the light of Christ is brought back into the Church. Beginning by lighting the fire, and then the paschal candle, we announce his Resurrection. The various elements of joy which we have laid aside over the past weeks are brought back.

These various ceremonies all have dramatic elements, often unique elements which we do not experience for the rest of the year; these are there to lead us more deeply into the incredible events of the first Holy Week, to unite us with Christ as he made that pilgrimage to his Cross and then his Resurrection. May we all take the opportunities offered by this week, may we all enter with fully open hearts into these services, then we will find that we are best prepared to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Christ. – Fr. Thomas