Category: Services

This Week

(see here for future events)

Pew Leaflet 20 April 2025Download

Thursday 17 April- Maundy Thursday
10.00am Holy Communion at All Saints’
7.30pm Shared meal and Holy Communion in All Saints’ Hall followed by
stripping of the altar and silent vigil until 10.30pm in church
8.00pm Holy Communion with Stripping of the Altar and Vigil at St Mary’s
8.00pm Liturgy of Maundy Thursday at St Nicholas’ with foot-washing,
stripping of altars, procession to Our Lady of Lourdes for vigil
Lived streamed on St Nicholas’ Facebook page
Friday 18 April – Good Friday
9.00am Stations of the Cross at St Mary’s
10.00am Reflective Service at All Saints’ followed by procession to the green to
erect a cross and then to Batford Methodist for hot cross buns. Suitable
for all ages
10.30am Walk of Witness from entrance of Rothamsted Park to Church Green
with service on the green. Refreshments in St Nicholas’ Hall after the
service
12noon Liturgy of the Cross in St Nicholas’ Church.
Lived streamed on St Nicholas’ Facebook page

Sunday 20 April 2025

Easter Day

6.00am
Dawn Service with Easter Fire, Exsultet and First Eucharist of Easter at St Nicholas’; President – Fr Patrick Moriarty
6.00am
Sunrise Service with First Communion of Easter, starting in All Saints’ Church Garden, then moving into Church; President – Revd James Brown
8.00am
Holy Communion at St Nicholas’
President & Preacher – Fr Patrick Moriarty
9.30am
Sung Eucharist at St Nicholas’
President & Preacher – Fr Patrick Moriarty
This service will be live streamed on facebook.com/StNicholasChurchHarpenden
9.30am
Family Communion with lighting of Easter Candle at St Mary’s
President & Preacher – Revd Sally Goodson
Live-streamed on www.facebook.com/StMarysKinsbourneGreen
10.00am
Family Communion at All Saints’ and on Zoom
President – Revd James Brown; Preacher – Revd Mark Rodel
Zoom details available in the weekly email sending the pew leaflet or by request from associate.vicar@allsaints.parishofharpenden.org
11.30am
Morning Praise with Holy Communion at St Nicholas’
President & Preacher – Fr Patrick Moriarty; Joint Leader – Liz de Jong

‘Pause for Thought’ contributor installed as Rector of Harpenden

St Nicholas’ Church, Harpenden was full to capacity last Sunday for the Institution and Induction of the new Rector of Harpenden, the Reverend Patrick Moriarty. A congregation of some 400, with many more watching the live stream of the service on Facebook, joined the Bishop of Hertford, Jane Mainwaring, and the King’s representative, Marion Brown, to welcome the new Rector. Harpenden Mayor, Pip Liver, and local MP, Victoria Collins, led the civic leaders attending.

In his new role, Patrick will oversee worship across three Anglican churches in the town, St Nicholas’, St Mary’s and All Saints.

Patrick commented, “My family and I were touched by the greeting we received on Sunday. Harpenden is such a fantastic town and I’m excited to meet the people and explore my new home. St Nicholas’, St Mary’s and All Saints are a huge part of community life in Harpenden and we’re looking forward to becoming a full part of that. With Easter only a few weeks away, I can’t think of a better time to be starting my ministry here, as I build on the success of my predecessor.”

Patrick was ordained to the priesthood in 2018, alongside his career in education. He was Headteacher of the Jewish Community Secondary School in Barnet between 2012 and 2022. He is a Trustee of the Council of Christians and Jews, a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2’s ‘Pause for Thought’ and a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire. He is married with grown-up and school-age children and has most recently been Associate Priest at St Stephen’s and St Julian’s Church in St Albans.

He succeeds Rev’d Canon Dennis Stamps who had been Rector since 2012 and moved to a new Parish in the Cotswolds last summer.

Holy Week at St. Marys

Palm Sunday – Sunday 13th April
9.30: Blessing of Palms and procession,
followed by service in church with Reading of the Passion Gospel
Live streamed on Facebook
4.30 Simply Worship for Palm Sunday
Maundy Thursday – Thursday 17th April
8pm – Holy Communion, with Stripping of the Altar, and vigil.
Good Friday – Friday 18th April
9am: Stations of the Cross
10.15: Walk of Witness in Harpenden: meet at the entrance to Rothamsted Park, follow
those carrying the cross through the High Street, then a service on Church Green.

Easter Day – Sunday 20th April
9.30am: Family communion with lighting of the Easter candle.
Live streamed on Facebook

All Saints’ Services

Sundays

10am: The Sunday morning service alternates between Holy Communion and a more informal Morning Worship.

Music is provided by one of our two classically trained pianists and includes the best of both traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs.

Morning Worship is often led by a lay member of the church, and in all our services we strive to engage the children in reading etc.

During term time, the children and teenagers go to the hall for their separate activities in several age-related groups. At other times, worksheets are sent out by email for them to complete during the service. In both cases, a highlight of the service is towards the end when they are encouraged to share their work with the whole congregation.

You can join the service either in person in the church building or online (joining details are emailed to church members or may be obtained from our Associate Vicar or a church member to whom you are known)

Our innovative use of Zoom allows online participants to engage on an equal basis by offering a reading or intercessions, and for children to show their work, displayed on the screen for the church congregation.

Post-Pandemic Sundays

For the time being (Autumn 2021) and whilst the shadow of Covid and its variants still hang over us we are continuing the pattern or worship above established at the start of the pandemic with the flexibility to worship online or in person however people feel most comfortable.

Discussions are underway for the longer term as to whether we continue with one service or revert to the pre-pandemic pattern of separate communion and more informal services. Whilst we have greatly appreciated meeting together as one congregation and the sense of unity that has brought, we also know that people meet with God in different ways and want to encourage spiritual health in all our members.