Christians across Norfolk mark season of Easter
Christians across Norfolk have been marking Easter - the most important season in the church’s year - in a number of different ways.
Five churches joined together for a Walk of Witness through Lakenham and Tuckswood in Norwich on Good Friday morning. They were Bethany Tamil church which meets at St Pauls, Ipswich Road URC, St John’s Old Lakenham, St Mark’s New Lakenham and New Hope Christian Centre.
New Hope church leader, Clare Elkins, said: “It is so important for the church to unite and to work together in a community. We do three or four events when we come together as the church of God in Lakenham and honour his name on the streets.”
Rev John Potter, from Ipswich Road URC, said: “It is extremely important that if there is any way we can work together that we do. This walk of witness has two starting points at New Hope, where they walk through and pray for Lakenham and from Ipswich Road URC where we walk and pray for Tuckswood. I think it is a marvellous witness.”
The walkers finished up at St Mark’s where a joint service and stations of the cross was held.
The Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, Alan Hopes, washed the feet of 12 members of the congregation at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich last night (April 18), in the traditional Maundy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Bishop Alan knelt to wash, dry and kiss their feet following the example of Jesus, who did the same to his 12 disciples at the Last Supper, the day before he was crucified. The 12 parishioners represented groups from across the parish including SVP, choir, youth, Couples For Christ, servers and stewards.
The Norfolk Broads village of Acle demonstrated its uncompromising approach to ecumenism when a cross-section of 40 members of the Roman Catholic, Methodist and Church of England communities celebrated a sun-rise service on Easter Sunday reports John Kenny.
Led by Deacon Peter Glanville, Rev Stephen Cullis, Rev Martin Greenland, Rev Nick Garrard and Rev Helen Garrard the congregation assembled at 5.30am on Easter Sunday outside the 12th Century church of St Mary’s Fishley, a short walk from the centre of Acle for the traditional annual dawn service.
The service began with prayers and hymns inside the candle-lit church before the congregation processed outside into the grounds of the church to coincide with the rising of the sun, when further prayers were recited and hymns sung.
The service finished with a rousing rendition of ‘Jesus Christ is Risen Today’ after which all present were invited by Steve Cullis back to the Methodist Church for a much-appreciated breakfast.
See above or click here to see a picture gallery of services and events.