Newsletter - Palm Sunday & Holy Week
29/03/26 (Year A)
Your weekly e-newsletter from the Benwell & Scotswood Team.
This week
Sunday
11.15am - St James Liturgy of Palm Sunday, Team Service
Tuesday
4.30pm - Bible Study with Farsi Translation, prep for baptism
Wednesday
4.30pm - Exploring Faith, The meaning of Holy Week, at St James
Thursday
7.30pm - Liturgy of Maundy Thursday, at Venerable Bede
Friday
2pm - Liturgy of Good Friday, at St John’s
Saturday
8pm - The Easter Liturgy, at St Margaret’s
Next Sunday
10am - Easter Sunday Holy Communion at St John’s
11.15am - Easter Sunday Parish Eucharist at St James’
Dates for your diary
Sun 3 May
11.15am - Team service for the APCM (annual meeting) at St James
News
Holy Week begins!
Come along to our events this week and experience this most special time. Please note:
There will be no art club or writing club this week and next.
Service times and locations will be different, please see below.
There will be a Bible study session to prepare for baptisms this week, but we will take a break in the week after Easter.
Fr Chris will be off for the week after Easter Sunday, including the following Sunday.
All other groups should continue as normal.
Bishop of Newcastle to be our Holy Week preacher!
We are honoured and blessed that our Bishop, Helen-Ann, will be joining us in Benwell and Scotswood in Holy Week to be our preacher. She will journey with us at this most special time and help us reflect on Christ’s passion.
She will be with us on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Holy Week (times below).
Exploring Faith - the meaning of Holy Week
Wedenesday 1 April
4.30pm
Finish by 6pm
At St James Benwell, NE15 6RS
Our final session of this year’s Exploring Faith group will be a bonus session to look at the meaning of Holy Week and ask questions. We will give you a brief introduction to help you understand what is happening as we remember Jesus’ journey to the cross and his rising again.
Holy Week, 29 Mar - 5 Apr
Holy Week is the most special time in the Church’s year. As a church community we journey together as pilgrims, remembering each Holy Week event at each of our four churches. Together we walk with Jesus’ through his passion, death, and resurrection– the greatest story of hope in the face of suffering.
Palm Sunday Eucharist
29 March, 11.15am
At St James Church Benwell, NE15 6RS
Beginning with a procession, singing, and waving palm crosses and branches. We remember how Jesus was welcomed by the people of Jerusalem, before he was killed. We also have a dramatic reading of the story of Jesus’ arrest and death.
Maundy Thursday - the Eucharist of the Last Supper
2 April, 7.30pm
At Venerable Bede West Road, NE4 8AP
You are invited to have your feet washed (not compulsory!) as Jesus washed his Disciples’ feet at their last meal together. We share communion before the altar and church are then stripped of decoration and we descend into darkness.
‘The Watch’ lasts for an hour after the service for those who want to stay, just as Jesus asked his disciples to stay awake and pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Good Friday Veneration of the Cross
3 April, 2pm
At St John’s Church Benwell Village, NE15 6NW
We tell the story of Jesus’ trial and death. As we meditate on his sacrifice, a cross is brought into the church and we offer our prayers. This is a powerful service when we remember the outpouring of God’s love and how an instrument of death and oppression was transformed into a symbol of hope, joy and eternal life.
The Easter Celebration - Eucharist of the Resurrection
Saturday 4 April, 8pm
At St Margaret’s Church Scotswood, NE15 6AR
We begin in darkness with a vigil around a fire, telling the story of God’s love and salvation throughout history. We light the Paschal Candle and light returns to the church with celebration and joy and singing. We baptise new Christians and renew our baptismal promises. We then celebrate the Eucharist once more, remembering that Christ conquered death, and now we share in this heavenly meal and receive eternal life.
Easter Day
Sunday 5 April, 11.15am
At St James Church Benwell, NE15 6RS
We gather on Sunday morning, as we gather every Sunday, to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. There may even be an Easter egg hunt for young ones!
