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Lent & Easter 2026

Come and join us in prayer, self-reflection and contemplation throughout Lent as we look towards Easter as Jesus conquerors death! You can find out more about the Church of England's theme for lent this year, 'Draw Near: Life-Giving Habits for Lent', on their website.

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Holy Week follows Jesus' final days of his earthly life and it is a powerfully moving experience comprising of word, song and action. Our choir will offer a beautiful selection of music to aid us on our journey with Jesus to the cross. 

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Here you can find a list of all the services and events taking place in the parish over the coming weeks - we love to welcome to you to any, if not all of them, and we look forward to doing so. Please do get in touch if you have any questions or queries.​​​​

Ash Wednesday Service

Join us as we begin our Lenten journey together with our Ash Wednesday Eucharist with Ashing.

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Mothering Sunday Eucharist

Join us as we celebrate our Mother Church, Mother Mary and our own Mothers and those who have shown us a Mother's love.

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Palm Sunday Eucharist
Join us as we Journey with Jesus as he enters Jerusalem at the start of this most Holy of Weeks. 

On this day we commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to accomplish his saving work by dying and rising again. The Palm Sunday liturgy has two distinctive features: the Procession and the Passion Gospel. 

The Procession expresses our readiness to take up our cross and follow Jesus, as we go with him to the place of suffering and death. 

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The reading of the Passion Gospel then takes us into the very heart of the mystery of Christ’s love. 

 

For Palm Sunday, along with the rest of the days of Holy Week, is a celebration of the victory Christ won over death by his dying on the cross. As the week goes by, we look at this one, single mystery from different angles. Today, the Procession and the Gospel Reading remind us that the kingly power of Christ is the power of self-giving love alone.

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Stations of the Cross

Follow in the footsteps of Jesus on the way of the cross through prayer and devotion.

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Maundy Thursday

Join us as we celebrate Jesus’ gift of the Eucharist, given to us at the Last Supper.

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On this night we focus on Jesus’ command (mandatum) to love one another as he loves us. Jesus’ love is shown in all its fullness on the cross. But on the night before his death, Jesus washes his friends’ feet as an act of loving service. This is the kind of practical love which must characterise our life together as a Christian community, and so we re-enact the Foot Washing as a sign of our commitment to that love.

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The love of Jesus was also expressed at the Last Supper by his giving to us of the Eucharist. At the end of the service the Blessed Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood is carried to another part of church and a Watch of Silent Prayer is kept.

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Good Friday All Age Worship

Join us for our family-friendly interactive service on Good Friday to contemplate Jesus' crucifixion.

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Good Friday Celebration of the Cross

Join us as we experience the love of God from the cross.

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This day is a triumphant celebration of Christ’s victory. For on the Cross he triumphs over sin and death; that we might live for ever with him. We focus on the instrument of execution on which our Lord died for us. The Cross is brought into church, there is a time of silent adoration, and people may come forward and spend a moment there in reflection, a moment of intimacy with the crucified Christ. You may kneel or stand before the Cross or remain seated in contemplation. 

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Holy Communion is the means by which we are united with Christ in his self-offering to the Father. And so the consecrated bread from last night’s Eucharist is brought out and distributed to the people.

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Dawn Service of Light

Join us as we experience new life as darkness is turned into light.

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This is the single most important moment in the whole Church year. For this is the night of Christian Passover, the night when Jesus ‘passes over’ from death to life. The Church meets at break of dawn, watching and waiting in vigil. Then, as the watching and waiting ends, the world of darkness gives way to the rising Son of God! We celebrate Christ’s victory and our own ‘passing over’ from sin and death to newness of life in the risen Lord.

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We begin around the New Fire, and begin the Vigil which consists of readings and psalms in which we recall the salvation history of the people of God. The Easter Candle is then lit and blessed. From this we light our own candles ready for the Easter Proclamation and the Gospel. 

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Then, after the Easter Gospel, we gather around the font for the Baptismal Liturgy, in which we renew, and are renewed in, our baptism and our commitment to Christian discipleship.

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Easter Day Sung Eucharist

Join us as we celebrate Christ's Resurrection on this most Holy Day with our Easter Day Sung Eucharist.

Lent in 3 Minutes

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Wednesday, 19th February marks the beginning of Lent.

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Watch this short film to learn more about the season of waiting and thought.

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St Matthew's Church, Burnley Lane, Chadderton, Oldham OL1 2RE | ChaddertonChurch[at]gmail.com | 0161 652 4006

Incumbent: The Revd Elizabeth Devall SCP | Registered Charity Number: 1143492

© 2025 PCC of St Matthew and St Luke, Chadderton

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