On Sunday 21st June, St Stephen’s celebrated the arrival of Phase 5 of the easing of lock-down restrictions related to the Coronavirus.
After the 11.00am Sung Mass, the congregation enjoyed a delicious sponge cake made by Rosalyne Le Huray, along with wine.
It was a delight to be able to hear the Choir sing, to sing hymns, liturgical responses and propers, and to have a full team of Servers.
Thanks to all who made this day possible!
On Sunday 31st May, St Stephen’s Church re-opened for worship to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost.
Thanks to the generosity of Graham and Val Moullin, all who attended were given ‘notes of hope’ to keep or to send to someone in need of encouragement.
It was wonderful to be back together as a worshipping community; that too gave us hope for the future!
Due to the coronavirus restrictions, a Mass was not celebrated at St Stephen’s Church to commemorate the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord.
However, several parishioners wanted to mark the occasion and to celebrate the fact that the church is now open again for private prayer.
Jean and Rosalyne Le Huray kindly brought bouquets of flowers to greet people as they enter the church and pray in the Lady Chapel:
Christine Shaw (with the help of her son Daniel) decorated the Lady Chapel with floral arrangements that are meant to symbolise the apostles (azaleas) and the Ascension of our Lord (lilies):
And Kate McCall was keen to ensure that anyone who comes to pray at St Stephen’s is given a sign of welcome as they enter the porch:
Many thanks to Jean, Rosalyne, Christine and Kate for these wonderful decorations that make our church warm and welcoming!
On Monday 18th May, following decisions taken by the States of Guernsey, St Stephen’s Church was re-opened for private prayer.
All who wish to come to the church are invited to use the Lady Chapel.
We are thankful to God for this first step back towards being ‘a place of worship and prayer for all’!
9th May 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Guernsey at the end of the Second World War.
St Stephen’s was proud to show its colours and support the celebration!
Despite the fact that the church building is closed until further notice due to the coronavirus, St Stephen’s has been lovingly adorned for Easter.
Nicky Jee, who normally makes the church porch beautiful at this time, sent us this photo, in which the Jee Family has ‘virtually’ decorated the church entrance:
And Kate McCall, who prepared two bouquets of flowers from her garden, has placed them in front of the church door and the Calvary:
Many thanks to Kate and the Jee Family!
Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
On Saturday 11th April, those who wish to follow the Great Vigil of Easter may do so using the Mass booklet given here:
and the sermon preached by Fr John Moore is available in the ‘Sermons’ section of the website.
On Friday 10th April, those who wish to do so may take part in ‘The Way of the Cross’, a visit of the fourteen Stations of the Cross located within St Stephen’s Church.
The service booklet is available here:
and the meditations given by Fr John Moore are available in the ‘Sermons’ section of this website.
On Thursday 9th April, Fr John Moore organised a ‘Maundy Thursday Watch’ via the church’s website.
In normal circumstances, the Watch would occur in the Lady Chapel of St Stephen’s Church (which has been converted into an ‘Altar of Repose’), following the Sung Mass of Maundy Thursday.
At the end of the Mass, the ablutions are completed at the High Altar, but the priest leaves some consecrated Host and places the pyx in the ciborium.
The freshly-consecrated Host is censed, and a veil is placed on the ciborium.
The priest takes the ciborium to the Lady Chapel, accompanied by selected members of the congregation.
The Host is placed in the Tabernacle on the Altar of the Lady Chapel.
The priest then returns to the sanctuary as the High Altar is stripped bare. He leads the congregation in an antiphonal reading of Psalm 22.
After this, various members of the congregation stay behind to take turns in the Watch, which lasts throughout the evening.
As they participate in the Watch, worshippers are in the presence of the Host which has been laid in the Altar of Repose, and read selected gospel passages and psalms, provided in a booklet.
Those who would like to participate in the Watch this evening are invited to use the booklet given here:
Maundy Thursday Watch – Year A
The sermon for the Maundy Thursday Sung Mass may be found in the ‘Sermons’ section of the website, along with the other homilies that have been given during Holy Week.
Although members of the St Stephen’s community could not physically gather together on Palm Sunday, each member received a palm cross that was distributed by post.
The crosses had been blessed by Fr John with the following prayer:
‘God our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and to die, + let these palms be for us signs of his victory; and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.’
‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ Mt 27. 9
