Lent at Old Saint Paul’s 2025
In 2025, Lent runs from Ash Wednesday on 5 March until Holy Saturday on 19 April. Old Saint Paul’s will be offering additional services for this season of reflection and simple living. We also invite you to consider your own prayer practices and patterns of reflection and study during this time.
Ash Wednesday
Mass and Imposition of Ashes | 8:00am and 7:30pm | Wednesday 14 February
There will be a Low Mass at 8:00am and Solemn Mass at 7:30pm for Ash Wednesday, which both include the giving of ashes in the Choir Stalls. Ashes are an ancient sign of penitence. From the middle ages people have started Lent by being marked with an ash Cross.
Sermons and Discussions
Lenten Post Mass Discussions
| 10:30am – 1:00pm | Sundays in Lent
After Mass on the next four Sundays of Lent, there will be a time of discussion in the hall based on issues raised in the sermons. The sermons draw their themes from Tomas Halik’s book, The Afternoon of Christianity, and they are as follows:
Sun 16 Mar – Reading the Signs of the Times
Sun 23 Mar – What can we learn from atheism?
Sun 30 Mar – Spirituality before Religion
Sun 6 Apr – Church as Way, School, Hospital, and Spiritual Centre
Stay for coffee and to reflect together – an ideal way to explore faith and learn more about each other while we’re gathered on Sundays. These discussions will finish by 1pm.
Other Services to join during Lent
On Monday – Friday at 8am in the choir stalls, we have Morning Prayer and Mass, which, during Lent, includes a short daily reading from the Desert Fathers and Mothers. This service lasts around 30 minutes and is livestreamed on the OSP Facebook page. We also celebrate Mass at 12.20, which also lasts around 30 minutes but is not livestreamed.
On Tuesday evenings, our Contemplative Prayer Group meets online from 7-8pm. These sessions begin with a 20 minute reflection, followed by 20 minutes of silence and concluding with 20 minutes of sharing and reflection. During Lent, the themes will also be from the Desert Fathers and Mothers.
On Thursdays at 5pm in the Memorial Chapel, there is a short service where we pray the Jesus Prayer, preceded by a brief prayer office. This lasts no more than 20 minutes and is also livestreamed on our Facebook page.
Also on Thursdays from 7-8pm, the Nazareth Community meets in the Memorial Chapel. The sessions of the Community are open to everyone and alternate between a time of silent prayer and a simple, contemplative Eucharist.
The Annunciation of the Lord (Lady Day) on 25 March, Tuesday.
Laetare/Refreshment Sunday (& Mothering Sunday): 7:30 High Mass followed by ‘pink refreshments’!
Flowers for Easter
Every Easter we fill the church with lilies. If you would like to remember a loved one or give thanks for something through the gift of a lily, please consider donating to our Flowers for Easter page.
**Don’t forget that the church is open for prayer daily, so you can pop in any time!**
**Copies of the daily readings from the Desert Fathers and Mothers will be available for you to pick up in church.**