St Cuthbert’s exists for the worship of Almighty God who was revealed in Jesus Christ. Through our worship we strive to provide a place where you might experience God’s love, inspiration, and presence in your life. All are welcome, whether you are already a church-goer or are coming for the first time.
We offer a wide range of services each week which cater for different communities and needs. Below is a brief explanation of what you might see and expect at each service.
‘Mass’, sometimes also referred to as the Eucharist, ‘the Holy Communion’ or ‘the Lord’s Supper’, is the highest form of Christian communal worship, recounted in the New Testament. At every Mass we gather to pray; to hear the Scriptures; to profess our faith; to recall and make present again the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, and the saving sacrifice of his Life, Death and Resurrection; and, after participating in that sacred meal by Holy Communion, to be sent out again with God’s blessing and grace.
At a High (or “Solemn”) Mass, the celebration is festive and includes a fuller celebration of the rites of the church, with eucharistic vestments, incense, music from our professional choir, organ, and congregational hymns. A sermon will be delivered on the day’s themes. The priest and people sing various parts of the Mass, and a solemn ceremonial is followed, in which the priest is ordinarily assisted by deacon and subdeacon. Following High Mass all are invited to morning tea/coffee at the west end of the church. The High Mass lasts approximately one hour.
At a High (or “Solemn”) Mass, the celebration is festive and includes a fuller celebration of the rites of the church, with eucharistic vestments, incense, music from our professional choir, organ, and congregational hymns. A sermon will be delivered on the day’s themes. The priest and people sing various parts of the Mass, and a solemn ceremonial is followed, in which the priest is ordinarily assisted by deacon and subdeacon. Following High Mass all are invited to morning tea/coffee at the west end of the church. The High Mass lasts approximately one hour.
At our Family Mass, the celebration includes some music, but simpler ceremonial and prayers specially approved for liturgies with children. The congregation sings the hymn and psalm, accompanied with organ or piano, and a short sermon is delivered by the celebrant on the day’s themes. The rest of the service is said, and the celebration is from the nave altar (facing the people) rather than from the high altar. This service
Low Mass is a simpler form of Mass in which the entire service is said by priest and people, not sung, and a simpler ceremonial is adopted. Usually there is no sermon at such masses. This is the rite of Mass used ordinarily on weekdays when there is no major feast, and takes place ordinarily in the Lady Chapel. It lasts approximately 25 minutes.
Morning and Evening Prayer – Our services of Morning Prayer (“Lauds”) and Evening Prayer (“Vespers”) are short services of praise conducted each day of the week save Monday. The service involves the praying of a selection of psalms, then a short scriptural text, responses and intercessions for the church and the world, all in contemporary language. They are led by a priest and held in the sanctuary. These are prayed without music. Each service takes approximately 15 minutes.
The service of Evensong is the solemn form of Evening Prayer as prescribed in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and is particular to the Anglican Communion. It is sung in its entirety, with vestments and incense, and approximates to the monastic hours of Vespers and Compline combined. The service consists of a hymn, psalm, readings from Scripture, biblical canticles, intercessions and prayers. It is celebrated by a priest and music is provided by cantor/choir and organ. At the conclusion of Evensong follows the short devotion of Benediction, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar, and we give thanks to Christ present with us under the appearance of bread and wine, and we offer prayer and praise to God through Him at the end of the day. Evensong and Benediction last approximately 45 minutes.
