An Abbey welcome to Holy Week and Easter
Friday, 23rd March 2018
Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church welcome worshippers and visitors to our annual celebration of Holy Week, the most solemn week of the Church’s year, culminating in the most joyful festival, Easter Day.
The great Palm Sunday service begins Holy Week on 25th March at 10.30am with the Blessing of Palms outside St Margaret’s Church, followed bv the Procession into the Abbey and Sung Eucharist.
On Tuesday 27th March at 6.30pm James O'Donnell, the Abbey’s Organist and Master of the Choristers, conducts the Abbey Choir with members of Westminster Under School choir and St James’ Baroque in a performance of J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion, a dramatic representation of the Passion of Christ as told in the Gospel of St Matthew.
On Maundy Thursday 29th March at 5.00pm the first of the great services of the three holy days running up to Easter is the Sung Eucharist in the Abbey with the Washing of Feet, followed by the Watch in St Margaret’s Church until 9.00pm.
On Good Friday 30th March, St Margaret’s Church has Sung Matins and Litany at 10.30am. In the Abbey The Solemn Liturgy of the Passion and Death of Our Lord with the singing of the Passion and Holy Communion is at 3.00pm.
The beginning of the celebration of Easter is marked at the Solemn Vigil Eucharist in the Abbey on Holy Saturday at 8.00pm.
On Easter Day, the services in the Abbey are at 7.30am, 8.00am and 10.30am (Sung Eucharist) and at 3.00pm (Solemn Evensong) and 6.30pm; and in St Margaret’s Church at 11.00am Sung Eucharist with the Renewal of Baptismal Vows.
The Abbey is open on Sundays and Good Friday only for worship. All are welcome. No tickets are needed. The Abbey is open for tourist visiting on all other days from 9.30am.
See Holy Week and Easter for more information on the services.
