Lent at Chichester Cathedral

 Ash Wednesday

Sung Eucharist with imposition of Ashes will be taking place in the Cathedral for Ash Wednesday. Sung by visiting choir, In Cheerful Voice

18 February at 5.30pm

Holy Hour

Join us each Thursday afternoon during Lent for an hour of personal prayer and adoration as we sit, silently, with Jesus Christ our Saviour, present in the Blessed Sacrament. Held in the Lady Chapel, all are welcome for any or all of the time.

Thursdays 19 & 26 February, 5, 12, 19, 26 March. 1.00-2.00pm

Lent Course: Approaching Easter with Matthew’s Gospel

Thursdays in Lent

Come and reflect on Matthew's version of the Gospel to prepare for the coming festival of Easter. Each session, led by cathedral clergy will present Matthew's Gospel, leading to his account of Christ's death and resurrection.

19 February - What is St Matthew's Gospel? 
26 February - The Challenging Message of the Sermon on the Mount 
5 March - Matthew on Being a Disciple 
12 March - The Transfiguration of Jesus 
19 March - Getting Closer to Holy Week 
26 March - Matthew on the Death and Resurrection of Christ  

George Bell House, 4 Canon Lane. Arrive for 2.15pm, sessions start at 2.30 and finish by 4.00pm with tea/coffee and a chance for further discussion. There is no charge but to reserve a place please email chris.george@chichestercathedral.org.uk or telephone 01243 812488.

Lent Blogs and Video Reflections

Throughout Lent, join us online for a series of short video reflections exploring the Lenten themes of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. 

Led by our Dean Edward, Canon Chancellor Earl and Canon Treasurer Vanessa, these gentle micro-reflections are designed to offer a moment of pause at the end of the day - something you can return to as part of your Lenten routine, wherever you are. 

Videos will be shared on our Facebook, Instagram and TikTok channels at 7.00pm on 18 February, 23 February and 9 March. 

Follow us to watch along.
facebook.com/ChichesterCathedral
@ChiCathedral on Instagram
@ChichesterCathedral on TikTok 

Lent Home Group

James Allport and Liz Woodsell are leading a five-week Lent Course on Wednesdays 25 February and 4, 11, 18 & 25 March. Sessions will be held at The Deanery, starting at 6.15pm, after Evening Prayer and finishing around 7.30pm. 

Wednesdays in Lent.

For more details, see the event listing or contact Liz woodsellliz@gmail.com or James jamesallport2@gmail.com

Residential Retreat: The Art of Easter -The Resurrection in Word and Image

We invite participants to step out of the intensity of their life into a period of contemplation, largely spent in silence, on the theme of the Resurrection from Good Friday through to the Ascension using a combination of art and the bible as a guide. Time will be spent contemplating artworks in the Cathedral, reflecting and discussing; other sessions, in George Bell House, will involve a guided exploration using art and biblical passages, a period of contemplation, and time for comment and questions. 

The retreat will be guided by Earl Collins, the Canon Chancellor and John Workman, an art history postgraduate researcher and member of the Cathedral congregation. There are also opportunities for individual spiritual conversation with the Canon Chancellor.

Sunday 1—Tuesday 3 March

Please call 01243 813586 or email bookings@chichestercathedral.org.uk to book residential places.  

Cost: £190 per person residential; £160 per person sharing a twin/double room; £55 day attendance on 2/3 March only (supper not included)

Day attendance only can be booked online

Book a Day attenance

Availability of clergy for confession/spiritual direction/chat
Lent often prompts people to ask questions about the Christian faith or to talk about their spiritual life with a member of the clergy. Some may want to make their confession to God and hear a priest pronounce God’s words of forgiveness and peace. Cathedral clergy and our team of Day Chaplains are always happy to speak to you.

Palm Sunday, 29 March 

8.00am     Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer (said)

9.00am     Service for Children, Families and Caregivers

10.00am   Choral Mattins

11.00am     Sung Eucharist with Procession of Palms [LS] Our service begins outside on the south-        
                    east corner of the Cathedral Green. Palms are blessed, and we process along West Street 
                    into the Cathedral, recalling Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the beginning of his 
                    journey to death and resurrection. When the congregation reaches the Cathedral the 
                    service continues with a dramatic reading of the Passion.

3.00pm     Choral Evensong

Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 March, 8.00pm

Choral Compline. Compline is a service of quietness and reflection before rest at the end of the day. It derives its name from the Latin word for "completion", referring to the completion of the waking day. Featuring music sung by the Otter Consort of the University of Chichester on Monday, and the Cathedral Choir on Tuesday.

Wednesday 1 April

12.00pm Diocesan Chrism Eucharist: 

The Chrism Eucharist brings the clergy and laity of the diocese together to renew their commitment to follow Christ. The clergy renew their ordination vows before the Bishop, and the Oils of the sick, of baptism and of chrism are blessed.  At the end of the service, the oils are distributed for use in parishes throughout the diocese.
Celebrant and Preacher: The Lord Bishop of Chichester, The Right Reverend Dr Martin Warner

8.00pm Tenebrae: 

The Liturgy of Shadows. An opportunity to sit quietly and reflect on the story of the Passion. In this service, six of seven candles are extinguished, and the last, representing Jesus Christ, Light of the world, is hidden as Jesus’ body was hidden in the shadows of the tomb. The readings of Tenebrae are accompanied by one of J.S. Bach's most significant Partitas (a set of variations on a chorale), Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig (BWV 768). It dates from before 1708 and will be played by our Organist and Master of the Choristers, Charles Harrison.

 Maundy Thursday, 2 April

10.30am   Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer

7.00pm      Eucharist of the Last Supper.

In this special Eucharist service, we recall Jesus’ supreme example of humble service in washing the feet of his disciples. Sung by the Cathedral Choir.

Good Friday, 3 April

10.00am The Easter Story Retold: 

A Good Friday Service for Children, Families and Caregivers
In this special service we follow in the footsteps of Jesus from the Last Supper he had with his friends through the events of Good Friday, pausing at different places in the Cathedral to think about what happened. The service will end with Hot Cross Buns.

12.00pm Good Friday Reflections 

The Dean, The Very Revd Dr Edward Dowler, leads a sequence of reflections on the Passion story.
From 1.30pm, the Cathedral Choir sings the account of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus in The Liturgy of the Passion, and we are invited to pray before the cross. Service also livestreamed.

Easter Eve, 4 April

7.30pm Easter Vigil with Confirmations. 

Our service begins outside, where from a new fire the Paschal Candle is lit. As we process into the Cathedral, the light from the candle is shared amongst the congregation. We celebrate the victory of light over darkness, of life over death, as we hear scriptural readings telling of our creation by God and how he restores us to new life. Christians are then confirmed by the Bishop of Chichester, and welcomed into the family of the Church, before we all share in the First Eucharist of Easter. 

Easter Day, 5 April

We celebrate Jesus’ glorious resurrection from the dead in the following services:
8.00am       Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer said
9.00am       Service for Children, Families and Caregivers
10.00am     Choral Mattins
11.00am      Sung Eucharist.  Celebrant and Preacher: The Lord Bishop of Chichester, The Right        
                    Reverend Dr Martin Warner. Service also livestreamed.
3.00pm       Choral Evensong