Maundy Thursday is the first of the three great days (The Triduum)
which lead up to the great feast of Easter Day.
On this night the church recollects and reenacts the events of
the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ.
At St Faith's, the evening of Maundy Thursday
was marked by distinctive and moving liturgy.
The photographs tell the story...
The Gethesemane Garden in the Lady
Chapel awaits its worshippers and the Watch till midnight
In the Chapel of the Cross, a
circle of stones is waiting...
By the font, another prayer
station and trays ready for candles and lights
Twelve people have their feet
symbolically washed by the priest while the choir sings 'Christus
Factus Est'
The people gather round the Nave
Altar for the Thanksgiving and Communion
Here and below: the lights are
lowered and worshippers' candles are lit
In the Lady Chapel, the candles
are now lit ready for the procession to the Altar of Repose
After the liturgy, worshippers spend the quiet hours till midnight at
the prayer stations
We are invited to extinguish a
light around the church in memory of the darkness Jesus felt on
this night
But by the font, candles are lit
and placed in the sand to show that Christ's light is more powerful
than our darkness