7pm today, Monday 29th March

The Stations of the Cross have formed part of Christian devotion at Passiontide for many centuries because they offer a particularly vivid way of following in the steps of Jesus on the way to the Cross, and enable us to engage actively with the path of suffering walked by Jesus.  They originated when early Christians visited Jerusalem and wanted to follow literally in the footsteps of Jesus, tracing the path from Pilate’s house to Calvary. They would pause for prayer and devotion at various points.  Eventually, those pilgrims brought the practice back to their home countries and ever since then Christians of differing traditions have used this form of devotion.

To maintain social distancing, booklets showing the station illustrations will be provided.

When you are passing the Church this week please do collect a Palm Cross and a Holy Week poster.

The following are Services to which all are warmly invited to attend in person :-

Palm Sunday Service -28th March at 10am

Monday 29th March – 7pm, Stations of the Cross

Maundy Thursday – 1st April at 7-30pm – Commemoration of the Last Supper

GOOD  FRIDAY  2nd April – 2:30pm Holy Hour Reflection Service

EASTER SUNDAY – 10am Parish Communion

The Church will also be open for Private Prayer, 2pm to 4pm on Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and the following day Easter Monday. 

To mark the first Anniversary of Lockdown, the Church will be open today (Tuesday 23rd March) from 5pm to 6pm for private Prayer, with the opportunity to light a candle.

During this hour the tenor bell will be tolled for an hour remembering to recall the year that has passed since the first Lockdown began.

Thank you to Lucy Moores for this splendid photograph of St. Paul’s, taken during the evening as we shone a light in our windows as part of the 8pm ‘beacon of remembrance’. 

The National Day of Reflection, organised by the charity Marie Curie supported by the Church of England, marked one year since the UK first went into lockdown.  A time for everyone to come together to collectively reflect loss, support those who have been bereaved, and hope for a brighter future.

St Paul’s is supporting this 24-7 Prayer during Holy Week Initiative. Further information will follow but in the meantime  this link gives details of how to become involved. A poster showing details of the Sale Churches Easter trail is shown on the pdf link below.

Because the Church is still not open for public worship, after the live streamed Sunday morning service a display for Mothers Day was set up in the Church porch. Passers by were invited to take a bunch of daffodils and a Mothers Day card. The photo below shows the display. The daffodils and cards would usually be given during the Mothers Day service but COVID restrictions meant this was not possible this year.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.  (Psalm 121. v.1-2)

A recent aerial view of Sale, showing St. Paul’s Parish Church on Springfield Road and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Hope Road and the hills beyond.

Thank you to Daniel Stazicker for sharing this fascinating photograph with us.

These photographs taken today, March 2nd, show some of the crocuses which were donated to the St. Paul’s Parish Church, Springfield Road, Sale by the Rotary Club of Sale for the Purple for Polio campaign, see link:-  https://www.rotarygbi.org/projects/purple4polio/

As spring begins we hope people will enjoy walking around the Church grounds appreciating the variety of spring flowers.