Wednesday, 1 April 2020


Dear Friends,
As we approach Holy Week, I wanted to pass along important news and information.

With public gathering for worship continuing to be suspended by the Archbishop, in compliance with the provincial state of emergency, worship services continue to be live-streamed over the internet.  As a reminder, worship services may be viewed on our parish Facebook Page (just "google" "St. Stephen's Parish Chester", and you should be directed right to it). You do NOT need to have a Facebook account to view services live, or to take in previous ones archived on the page itself. We are typically using the Book of Common Prayer, with a few exceptions over the course of Holy Week. If you have a copy of the BCP (1959 or 1962), please feel free to follow along.

If you do not have a copy of the BCP, you can access it either here:

Or here:

Mid-Day Prayer will continue to be live-streamed Tuesdays-Fridays (except for Good Friday - see below), unless otherwise announced. 

As for Holy Week Services, we will begin on Palm Sunday with a modified version of the Liturgy of the Palms followed by a version of the Liturgy of the Passion using BCP Morning Prayer. We will be sending out an electronic bulletin soon to help you follow the service at home. 

As we go through the journey of Holy Week, our schedule will be as follows: 
Monday-Wednesday - Evening Prayer, 7 p.m.
Maundy Thursday - Holy Communion - 7 p.m.
Good Friday - Celebration of the Lord's Passion - 11 a.m.
Holy Saturday - Morning Prayer - 9 a.m.
(Information about our observance of Easter Eve to be announced later)
Easter Day - Holy Communion - 11 a.m.

Watch future emails and our Facebook Page for more information about Communion.

This will certainly be a very different Holy Week and Easter observance and celebration than any most of us will have experienced. I pray and trust that we will all come together in spirit and in truth, if not in person. As a result of conversation with the Archbishop, I anticipate that, on that first Sunday when we will all be able to gather together again, physically, for worship, that it will be an Easter celebration as well. Even more reason to look forward to that day!

Blessings,
Fr. Ian+
(Archdeacon Ian Wissler, Rector)

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