- The World Day of Prayer (first Friday in March), on which we focus upon our solidarity with other Christian groups and traditions by uniting in prayer. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to learn how Christians in different cultures and contexts come to fresh understandings of the Gospel. We also pay attention to the concerns and needs of different groups throughout the world and commit to actions in order to help address their problems;
- Ash Wednesday (46 days before Easter Day), on which we undertake penitence for our sins to mark the beginning of the season of personal reflection known as Lent. During this time, it is a tradition for each parishioner to write down his or her sins on a piece of paper, to acknowledge to oneself and God past wrongdoings and for that piece of paper to then be symbolically burnt in purifying fire;
- Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter Day), on which we recognise Christ as Messiah and King with a procession of palm branches;
- Pentecost (fifty days after Easter Day), during which time we renew our ecumenical covenant with the other Christian denominations working in our area, in a celebration of both unity and diversity. Just as in the New Testament faith-story of the first Pentecost, in which Christians were suddenly able to speak a variety of foreign "tongues" (languages), in a reversal of the ancient Jewish "Tower of Babel" myth, so we affirm those things which unite Christians under the guidance of the Paraclete (Comforter or "Holy Spirit") at this time of year as we work with other denominations to overcome past divisions for the betterment of all;
- Week of Prayer for World Peace (incorporates the Third and Fourth Sundays in October), on which we conduct special liturgies to recognise Christ's call to us to be peacemakers through his teachings (the Beatitudes) and his life of non-violent opposition to the Roman Empire. In 1930, the Anglican Church first affirmed that "war as a method of settling international disputes is incompatible with the teaching and example of our Lord Jesus Christ" (see 1930, 1948, 1968 and 1978), a resolution which is still to gain traction within parts of the worldwide communion.
We give voice to the specifically Anglican pacifist ethos that first emerged during the 1930s under Dick Sheppard and continues to gain acceptance via the work of APF and a growing number of Christian peace activists. The Week of Prayer for World Peace was commenced by APF and has now expanded to include all major faiths. We also contemplate and give thanks for the example of the great Christian opponents of war and the military throughout history, ranging from the saints of the Early Church, to Francis of Assisi, to the Christian martyrs of our own time, such as Sophie Scholl and Blessed Franz Jägerstätter. This motivates us today to offer our prayers and support to anti-war activists and conscientious objectors and to work proactively for peace;
- All Souls' Day (November 2nd), on which we reflect upon the lives of the departed and pray for them. Parishioners can submit names of deceased family and friends for special prayers;
On these particular feasts, traditional symbolic rituals are performed, the purpose of which is to enrich the act of worship and to focus our attention upon God. These give great depth to the liturgy and complement the symbolism surrounding the Mass.
At Christmas and Easter, additional Church services are held.
To learn more about the Church's feast days, have a look at the information and sermons found here.
