May - St. James' and St. Basil's Church, Fenham

Holy Week Events
Palm Sunday. As usual, the service began out in the garden (in
brilliant sunshine for a change) and we then processed into church
under an arch of palm branches, each with our own palm cross.
Looking up at the upper left light of the window behind the altar
we can see Jesus arriving in Jerusalem on the back of a humble
donkey.
Passover Meal. Following the successful Lent groups held jointly
with St. Robert’s, several members of our congregation attended
the Passover meal held at St. Robert’s on the Tuesday of Holy
Week. This is an annual event organised by the Catholic Women’s
League and, if you’ve never been you’ve missed a very special
evening enjoyed by everyone present.
Stations of the Cross at our church was a joint service with our
friends from St Robert’s and featured some very unusual paintings
by a former member of their congregation who was able to be with
us that evening. The paintings, which certainly succeeded in
conveying the agony, were in lovely soft browns and blues with
long-bodied figures with bare arms and legs.
Maundy Thursday. A moving service with the lights gradually
being being turned off after the Eucharist as the altars were
stripped. After Nick moved to the side chapel to pray, people sat
quietly in the dark with their own prayers, leaving the church in
their own time.
Good Friday. Instead of our usual 9am communion service, we
had morning prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. In the
afternoon service Nick gave three addresses interspersed with well-
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